Evogene Ltd. and South Korea-based biotechnology company ELEO Inc. have entered into a strategic scientific collaboration to develop next-generation oral small-molecule therapies targeting the PCSK9 pathway, aiming to provide a more accessible treatment option for patients with high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.
The partnership brings together Evogene’s artificial intelligence-powered computational chemistry platform with ELEO’s expertise in cardiovascular biology to discover and advance novel oral drug candidates that could potentially overcome some of the limitations of currently available PCSK9 therapies.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as “bad cholesterol,” is one of the most important modifiable risk factors. Although injectable PCSK9 inhibitors have significantly improved cholesterol management for many patients, their high cost, injection-based administration, and limited accessibility have restricted widespread use.
Both companies believe there is growing demand for effective oral alternatives that are easier for patients to take while maintaining strong cholesterol-lowering efficacy.
Under the agreement, Evogene will deploy its proprietary ChemPass AI™ platform to design and optimize new small-molecule drug candidates. The AI-driven platform is designed to rapidly generate and prioritize molecules based on key drug development characteristics, including oral potency, bioavailability, selectivity, and overall drug-like properties.
ELEO will contribute its biological expertise, including proprietary models that evaluate PCSK9 expression and target validation capabilities. The company will experimentally test and refine the computationally designed molecules to identify the most promising candidates for further development.
The companies said the integrated approach is expected to accelerate drug discovery, improve the quality of candidate selection, and move potential therapies toward preclinical development more efficiently than traditional discovery methods.
Beyond research, Evogene and ELEO also plan to explore broader strategic opportunities, including licensing agreements, future clinical development pathways, and partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies interested in cardiovascular drug development.
The collaboration targets a market that is expected to experience substantial growth over the coming decade. According to the companies, the global market for PCSK9 inhibitors is projected to increase from approximately $4.4 billion in 2025 to more than $23 billion by 2035, driven by increasing demand for cholesterol-lowering therapies and the growing prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Kyungseop Ahn, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of ELEO Inc., said the collaboration combines the strengths of both organizations to develop innovative treatment options.
“At ELEO, our discovery approach is rooted in the rich bioactive potential of natural products,” Ahn said. “This foundation has enabled us to identify a PCSK9 inhibitor candidate with a novel mechanism for treating hyperlipidemia and related cardiovascular diseases. By combining this biological insight with Evogene’s ChemPass AI platform, we hope to develop a new generation of oral PCSK9 inhibitors that can expand treatment options for patients with atherosclerosis.”
Ofer Haviv, President and Chief Executive Officer of Evogene, said the partnership highlights the company’s strategy of applying artificial intelligence to complex therapeutic challenges.
“This collaboration represents an important opportunity to apply our AI-driven computational chemistry capabilities to one of the largest therapeutic areas in cardiovascular medicine,” Haviv said. “ELEO contributes valuable biological expertise and an innovative approach to the PCSK9 pathway, while our ChemPass AI platform is designed to optimize difficult small-molecule targets. Together, we aim to develop differentiated therapeutic candidates that could deliver significant value to future pharmaceutical partners and patients.”
If successful, the collaboration could contribute to the development of more convenient cholesterol-lowering therapies that address one of the world’s most significant public health challenges. By combining advanced artificial intelligence with biological validation, Evogene and ELEO hope to accelerate the discovery of oral PCSK9 inhibitors that offer improved potency, safety, patient convenience, and broader accessibility compared with existing injectable treatments.