Initial fungicidally active compounds already
discovered
REHOVOT, Israel, Feb. 13,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AgPlenus Ltd., a global
leader in designing and developing novel sustainable crop
protection products and a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (Nasdaq: EVGN)
(TASE: EVGN), today announced the breakthrough discovery of a novel
Mode of Action (MoA) active against Zymoseptoria tritici, the
fungal pathogen responsible for Septoria tritici blotch (STB), one
of the most devastating diseases affecting wheat crops globally.
Through extensive virtual screening of large compound libraries and
subsequent experimental testing, the company has already identified
promising compounds (small molecules) that effectively inhibit
fungal growth.
Zymoseptoria tritici causes widespread STB, a main cause of
global crop loss in wheat production. In Europe alone, over 70% of fungicides used in
wheat are against Zymoseptoria tritici, supporting a market of more
than 1.2 billion euros
annually[1]. With the growing resistance of fungi to
existing fungicide solutions, the need for a new MoA is
crucial.
AgPlenus initially launched its Zymoseptoria program utilizing
the advanced TargetSelector™ tool to identify target
proteins that are essential for the fungus' vitality. Subsequently,
the company employed the PointHit™ tool to discover
chemical molecules that inhibit these target proteins. The platform
predicted a set of relevant molecules that were rigorously tested
in two controlled environments: laboratory and greenhouse trials.
Results from the greenhouse trials demonstrated the efficacy of
these molecules in managing Zymoseptoria.
With these encouraging preliminary results, the program is now
moving into its next phase, which involves further optimization of
the discovered molecules using the ActiveSearch™ tool. The aim is
to enhance their performance and explore potential collaborations
and further development to potentially generate a novel effective
fungicide.
"I am encouraged by the results obtained by utilizing the
various tools in ChemPass AI for Ag in our Zymoseptoria
program and the progress the program has made," said Dr.
Dan Gelvan, CEO of AgPlenus. "With
increasing fungicide resistance posing challenges to wheat yields
worldwide, the identification of these novel targets is
timely."
The validation of this new MoA protein target, combined with the
identification of fungicidally effective compounds active through
the new MoA, strengthens AgPlenus' position at the forefront of
developing novel crop-protection solutions. This advancement aligns
with the company's mission to provide innovative, sustainable
solutions for crop protection.
About AgPlenus Ltd.
AgPlenus is a platform company designing effective and
sustainable crop protection products. At AgPlenus, we are solving
pesticide resistance by infusing the discovery process with
predictive biology and artificial intelligence. AgPlenus leverages
the ChemPass AI tech-engine, licensed from Evogene, to
discover and bring to market effective and sustainable crop
protection products. Our target-based approach allows us to reduce
risk and increase efficiency, so that we can deliver on our promise
to defeat global pesticide resistance. AgPlenus has ongoing
collaborations with industry leaders such as Corteva. AgPlenus is a
subsidiary of Evogene Ltd.
For more information, please visit www.agplenus.com
About Evogene Ltd.:
Evogene (Nasdaq: EVGN, TASE: EVGN) is a computational biology
company aiming to revolutionize the development of life-science
based products by utilizing cutting edge technologies to increase
the probability of success while reducing development time and
cost. Evogene established three unique tech-engines -
MicroBoost AI, ChemPass
AI and GeneRator AI – leveraging Big Data
and Artificial Intelligence and incorporating deep
multidisciplinary understanding in life sciences. Each tech-engine
is focused on the discovery and development of products based on
one of the following core components: microbes (MicroBoost
AI), small molecules (ChemPass AI), and genetic elements
(GeneRator AI).
Evogene uses its tech-engines to develop products through
subsidiaries and strategic partnerships. Evogene's subsidiaries
currently utilize the tech-engines to develop human
microbiome-based therapeutics by Biomica, ag-biologicals by
Lavie Bio, ag-chemicals by AgPlenus,
and castor varieties, for the biofuel and other industries, by
Casterra.
For more information, please visit: www.evogene.com.
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 are using
forward-looking statement in this press release when it
discusses the optimization of the discovered molecules and
further development to generate a novel effective fungicide,
Ag Plenus success in the development
of novel crop-protection solutions. 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 current war between Israel and Hamas and any worsening of the
situation in Israel such as
further mobilizations or escalation in the northern border of
Israel 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.
[1] TRESEARCH| SUMMER 2019| VOLUME 14: NUMBER
2
Contact:
ir@evogene.com
Tel: +972-8-9311901
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1334691/AgPlenus.jpg
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1947468/Evogene.jpg
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agplenus-announces-discovery-of-a-new-mode-of-action-for-fungicides-against-wheat-disease-302375959.html
SOURCE AgPlenus Ltd.
