Evogene Launches AI-Driven Drug Program Targeting Acute GVHD; EVGN Closed Down 3% at $0.37

Evogene Ltd. (EVGN) named acute graft-versus-host disease as the target indication for its internal drug discovery program, aiming to develop a first-in-class small-molecule therapy for severe inflammation in steroid-refractory aGVHD patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The company will use its proprietary ChemPass AI platform alongside expert collaborators. Acute GVHD affects roughly 30% to 40% of stem cell transplant recipients, and mortality among steroid-refractory patients can reach 50%. Treatment options remain limited, with corticosteroids as the recommended first-line systemic therapy and ruxolitinib the only approved second-line standard. "Our research identified a specific signalling pathway that is highly overactive and plays a central role in driving severe inflammation in steroid-refractory acute GVHD," said Prof. Dr Robert Zeiser of University Medical Centre Freiburg. Gabi Tarcic, Evogene's Chief Development Officer, said the program's launch marks execution of the company's commitment to advancing internally developed therapeutic assets. EVGN traded between $0.35 and $1.33 over the past year and closed Wednesday's trade at $0.37, down 3%.