Evogene Ltd. (Nasdaq: EVGN) and the Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery (BCDD) at Tel Aviv University announced a joint initiative focused on small-molecule drug discovery, according to a press release issued July 8, 2026. The collaboration was facilitated by Ramot, Tel Aviv University's tech transfer company.

Under the agreement, Evogene will contribute its proprietary AI-driven computational chemistry platform, ChemPass AI™, while the BCDD will provide experimental infrastructure, screening capabilities, and translational development support. The two organizations plan to identify and evaluate projects emerging from Israeli academic institutions and entrepreneurial ventures.

The collaboration centers on an integrated Design-Make-Test-Analyze workflow. Projects selected through the initiative will use Evogene's ChemPass AI™ for the design and optimization of novel small molecules, with the BCDD handling experimental validation and development support.

Ofer Haviv, President and CEO of Evogene, said the initiative is intended to "broaden the pipeline of drug candidates developed by Evogene's unique technology," and invited researchers focused on biological targets, particularly molecular glues and complex proteins, to contact the Blavatnik Institute.

Leah Klapper, Managing Director of the BCDD, said the partnership would provide researchers and entrepreneurs with "a comprehensive drug discovery pipeline" combining biological expertise, experimental validation, and computational chemistry.

The BCDD is a translational research center at Tel Aviv University dedicated to advancing academic discoveries toward therapeutic development. Ramot manages Tel Aviv University's intellectual property and facilitates collaborations between academic research and commercial applications.