Evogene and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Announce a Collaboration to Advance AI-Driven Cancer Therapeutics
Aiming to introduce a new therapeutic strategy for overcoming chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer due to increased expression of cellular pathways
REHOVOT, Israel, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ:EVGN) (TASE: EVGN), a pioneering computational chemistry company specializing in the generative design of small molecules for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries today announced a collaboration with the pioneering research group of Dr. Mark Adams, a leading cancer genomics expert in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. This partnership aims to accelerate the discovery and optimization of novel small molecules as potential drug candidates for the treatment of chemotherapy and targeted therapy-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as other cancers.
Despite significant advancements in cancer treatment, resistance to standard-of-care chemotherapies and targeted therapies remain a major hurdle in treating patients with aggressive cancers, such as NSCLC. The effectiveness of cornerstone therapies such as Cisplatin is limited by high intrinsic resistance, seen in 60-70% of treated patients1, while 30-40% of patients receiving targeted therapies also fail to respond upfront2. In immunotherapy, whether as monotherapy or combined with chemotherapy, similar rates of both intrinsic and acquired resistance are observed3. These patterns highlight an urgent need for more effective therapies that can overcome both intrinsic and acquired treatment resistance.
Based on breakthrough findings from Dr. Adams' lab uncovering a novel druggable cellular detoxification pathway driving Cisplatin resistance in NSCLC, this collaboration aims to design novel small-molecule inhibitors that effectively block this critical mechanism and restore treatment sensitivity.
The collaboration combines Evogene's ChemPass AI™'s state-of-the-art computational capabilities for generative molecular design with Dr. Adams' leading expertise in cancer cell biology. By targeting this previously unrecognized enzymatic pathway of chemotherapy resistance, the collaboration seeks to introduce a new therapeutic strategy for overcoming chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer. The collaboration will focus on:
- Pinpointing critical mechanisms within Cisplatin-induced detoxification processes that can be therapeutically disrupted.
- Applying ChemPass AI™ to generate high-quality chemical leads, prioritizing molecules with strong inhibitory potential and favorable drug-like properties.
- Iteratively refining compound design using integrated biological insights from Dr. Adams' lab into ChemPass AI™'s generative model for multi-parameter optimization of drug candidates.
Dr. Mark Adams from Queensland University of Technology stated: "Partnering with Evogene is an exciting opportunity not only from a cell and molecular biology perspective, but also for its translational potential. Leveraging Evogene's AI-driven technology allows us to accelerate a path from research to real world outcomes. By working together, I look forward to seeing our collective innovation one day make a meaningful difference for people living with cancer."
Dr. Gabi Tarcic, Evogene's Chief Development Officer, stated: "By combining Dr. Adams' deep biological insight into resistance pathways with our advanced AI-driven drug design capabilities, we hope to offer a new lifeline to patients who currently face limited treatment options. Partnering with Dr. Adams' research team at QUT marks an important step in extending our generative AI technology into oncology, particularly in tackling one of the most persistent challenges in cancer - chemotherapy resistance."
About Evogene Ltd.
Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ:EVGN) (TASE: EVGN) is a pioneering company in computational chemistry, specializing in the generative design of small molecules for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.
At the core of its technology is ChemPass AI™, a proprietary generative AI engine that enables the design of novel, highly potent small molecules optimized across multiple critical parameters. This powerful platform significantly improves success rates while reducing development time and costs.
Built on this powerful technological foundation, and through strategic partnerships alongside internal product development, Evogene is focused on creating breakthrough products driven by the integration of scientific innovation with real-world industry needs. We call this approach "Real-World Innovation".
Learn more at: www.evogene.com.
Learn more about QUT's cancer research initiatives at: www.qut.edu.au/research.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" relating to future events. These statements may be identified by words such as "may," "could," "expects," "hopes," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "scheduled," "estimates," "demonstrates" or words of similar meaning. For example, Evogene and its subsidiaries use forward-looking statements in this press release when they discuss: the potential success of the collaboration to accelerate the discovery and optimization of novel small molecules as potential drug candidates for the treatment of chemotherapy and design effective new therapies that can overcome both intrinsic and acquired treatment resistance in lung cancer; Evogene's ability to discover novel compounds that will be optimized for the specific clinical need, i.e. patients that have progressed on currently available therapies; and the collaboration parties' hope to offer a new lifeline to patients who currently face limited treatment options. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, describe opinions about future events, involve certain risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and are not guarantees of future performance. Therefore, actual future results, performance or achievements of Evogene and its subsidiaries may differ materially from what is expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of Evogene and its subsidiaries, including, without limitation, the aftermath of the recent war between Israel and each of (i) the terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, (ii) Iran, and (iii) other regional terrorist groups supported by Iran, and any potential destabilizations in Israel, neighboring territories or the Middle East region, and those risk factors contained in Evogene's reports filed with the applicable securities authority. In addition, Evogene and its subsidiaries rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties to conduct certain activities, such as their field-trials and pre-clinical studies, and if these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, Evogene and its subsidiaries may experience significant delays in the conduct of their activities. Evogene and its subsidiaries disclaim any obligation or commitment to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments or changes in expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.
Evogene Investor Relations Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +972-8-9311901
1 Hendriks et al. Nature Reviews Disease Primers 2024
2 Passaro et al. ESMO open 2020
3 Schoenfeld et al. Annals of Oncology 2021
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SOURCE Evogene