6-K

UNITED STATES

 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of January 2022

Commission File Number: 001-36187

EVOGENE LTD.

  (Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

13 Gad Feinstein Street, Park Rehovot, Rehovot

P.O.B 4173, Ness Ziona, 7414002, Israel

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F ☒       Form 40-F ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ____

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ____

 

CONTENTS

On January 18, 2022, Evogene Ltd., or Evogene, announced positive results in pre-clinical studies in the Precise product program for medical cannabis of its subsidiary Canonic Ltd., or Canonic. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K, or this Form 6-K, and is incorporated herein by reference.

In addition, an updated Canonic investor presentation is furnished as Exhibit 99.2 to this Form 6-K.

The contents of Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 6-K, excluding the statements of Canonic’s CEO and of its advisor, are incorporated by reference into the registration statements on Form F-3 (File No. 333-253300) and on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-193788, 333-201443, 333-203856 and 333-259215) of Evogene, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, to be a part thereof from the date on which this report is submitted, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Date: January 18, 2022 EVOGENE  LTD.
(Registrant)

By: /s/ Dorit Kreiner
——————————————
Dorit Kreiner
Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT NO.	DESCRIPTION
99.1	Press Release: Canonic Announces Positive Results in Pre-Clinical Studies in its Precise Product Program for Medical Cannabis.
99.2	Canonic Investor Presentation.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

 

Canonic Announces Positive Results in Pre-Clinical Studies in its

Precise Product Program for Medical Cannabis

The results support the successful identification of specific cannabis varieties with anti-

inflammatory and pain relief properties, for which Canonic recently filed a patent application

Rehovot, Israel – January 18, 2022 – Canonic Ltd., focused on the development of medical grade cannabis products and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN, TASE: EVGN), announced today positive results in pre-clinical studies in inflammatory and pain model systems conducted in Israel by Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem and by Migal - Galilee Research Institute in Kiryat Shmona. The results support the identification of specific cannabis varieties with heightened anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties for Canonic’s medical cannabis Precise product line and have led to a patent application filing.

In its Precise product line, Canonic aims to develop medical grade cannabis inflorescence and oil products that provide relief for patients for specific medical indications with a high level of consistency and specificity in its clinical effects. Canonic’s first product candidates within the Precise program target pain relief and inflammation reduction and are planned to be launched in Israel during 2023, followed by a European expansion.

According to industry estimates, the medical cannabis market in Europe is estimated to pass €1 billion in 2023. According to a broad health economic study run by the BfArM¹ conducted in Germany, which represents over 50% of the European market, pain relief was the most frequently treated medical indication representing more than 70% of the medical indications treated with medical cannabis or cannabis-based medicines². The Israeli medical cannabis market includes over 105,000 licensed patients and is estimated at $260 million per year, with over 60% of medical cannabis in Israel prescribed for pain and inflammation indications³.

¹ The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Germany (https://www.bfarm.de/EN/Home/_node.html)

² https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33564897/; https://www.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article/218127/Interim-results-of-the-survey-accompanying-the-prescription-of-cannabis-based-medicines-in-Germany-regarding-dronabinol

³ Please note the sources are in Hebrew: https://www.health.gov.il/Subjects/cannabis/Documents/licenses-status-december-2021.pdf; https://finance.walla.co.il/item/3428846

In the pre-clinical studies reported today, Canonic screened multiple cannabis lines from its diverse genetic collection for anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. These lines had been selected according to active compounds compositions by using Evogene’s GeneRator AI tech engine. The screening of these selected lines was conducted in two separate models – in an in-vitro model at the laboratory of Prof. Reuven Or at the Hadassah Medical Center and in an in-vivo (fish larvae) model at Migal - Galilee Research Institute. Several varieties, including the cannabis variety which is the basis for Canonic’s product G150⁴, exhibited consistent positive results in both model systems, over several repetitions and independent cultivation cycles. Based on these results, Canonic has filed a patent application for several of these cannabis varieties and their medical effects.

Canonic expects to continue the development of these best performing varieties during 2022, including the gathering of clinical data, in expectation of commercializing its first Precise products in 2023 in Israel, with expansion into Europe planned to follow.

Canonic recently strengthened its management team with the recruitment of Ms. Tanya Damm Bokobza, EVP Business Development, and Dr. Haleli Sharir, Clinical Research Director. Their engagement with Canonic will support the plans for commercial expansion in Israel and Europe and clinical research activities. Canonic also published an updated investor presentation, which can be found here⁵.

Prof. Yossi (Joseph) Tam, Managing Director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem & Advisor to Canonic, stated: “We would all like to think that cannabis represents a potential solution for specific, difficult to treat, medical conditions, such as pain or inflammatory diseases, for which we lack ideal treatments. After all, it would be poetic if nature’s wisdom provided the medicine we have not yet designed ourselves. The ability of Canonic’s medical cannabis varieties in reducing pain and inflammation in pre-clinical settings is impressive. Indeed, breeding whole cannabis plants such that they contain specific compounds in specific quantities and tailored ratios in order to hit the right disease targets with minimal adverse events is what we should aim for in order to benefit our society. And this is exactly what Canonic does.”

⁴ For more information, please see: https://canonic.co.il/g150/. Please note that the page is in Hebrew.

⁵ http://www.evogene.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Canonic-Company-Presentation_Jan2022_FINAL.pdf

Dr. Arnon Heyman, CEO of Canonic, stated: “We are pleased with the progress achieved in these pre-clinical studies, which now allow us to advance the development of our first products in the Precise medical cannabis line. These results demonstrate further confirmation for the power of the computational biology platform that we use, supported by Evogene's GeneRator AI tech engine. I would like to thank our partners at Hadassah Medical Center and Migal - Galilee Research Institute and I look forward to continuing the development of our novel products. I believe that the global cannabis market is moving in the direction of products backed by clinical data supporting the consistency of medical relief for patients. These are precisely the type of products Canonic is developing in its Precise program. We look forward to updating as we advance towards commercialization.”

About Canonic Ltd.:

Canonic is a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN, TASE: EVGN), developing medical Cannabis products utilizing a Computational Predictive Biology (CPB) platform. The Company’s products in development are aimed at improving active compounds yield, genetic stability and Cannabis varieties for specific medical indications. The Company’s strategy includes the development of Cannabis varieties in order to commercialize medical Cannabis products independently or through collaborations. Canonic has exclusive access to Evogene’s genomic assets and technology for the development of medical Cannabis products. For more information, please visit: https://www.canonicbio.com/.

About Evogene Ltd.:

Evogene (NASDAQ: EVGN, TASE: EVGN) is a leading computational biology company focused on revolutionizing product discovery and development in multiple life-science based industries, including human health and agriculture, through the use of its broadly applicable Computational Predictive Biology (CPB) platform.  The CPB platform, incorporating a deep understanding of biology leveraged through the power of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, has been designed to computationally discover and uniquely guide the development of life-science products based on microbes, small molecules and genetic elements.  Utilizing the CPB platform, Evogene and its subsidiaries are now advancing product pipelines for human microbiome-based therapeutics through Biomica Ltd., medical cannabis through Canonic Ltd., ag-biologicals through Lavie Bio Ltd., ag-chemicals through AgPlenus Ltd., and ag-solutions for castor oil production through Casterra Ag. Ltd.  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”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “believes”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “demonstrates”, “aims” or words of similar meaning. For example, Evogene and Canonic are using forward-looking statements in this press release when they discuss Canonic’s product development efforts and commercialization plans for its Precise product line, the potential benefits of Canonic’s products and product candidates, and the expected growth in the cannabis market and number of patients. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, describe opinions about future events, and 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, those risk factors contained in Evogene’s reports filed with applicable securities authorities. 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 Contact:	US Investor Relations:
Rivka Neufeld Investor Relations E: IR@evogene.com T: +972-8-931-1940	Joseph Green Edison Group E: jgreen@edisongroup.com T: +1 646-653-7030
	Laine Yonker Edison Group E: lyonker@edisongroup.com T: +1 646-653-7035

EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

 January 2022  A subsidiary of  CULTIVATED by SCIENCE 

 Forward Looking Statement  This presentation contains "forward-looking statements" relating to future events, and Canonic Ltd (the “Company”) and its parent, Evogene Ltd. (“Evogene”), may from time to time make other statements, regarding our outlook or expectations for future financial or operating results and/or other matters regarding or affecting us that are considered “forward-looking statements” as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “PSLRA”) and other securities laws, as amended. Statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of such words as “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “should”, “planned”, “estimated”, “intend” and “potential” or words of similar meaning. We are using forward-looking statements in this presentation when we discuss our value drivers, commercialization efforts and timing, product development and launches, estimated market sizes and milestones, as well as the capabilities of Evogene’s and our technology. 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. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect the Company's actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this presentation. Therefore, actual future results, performance or achievements, and trends in the future 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 our control, including, without limitation, those described in greater detail in Evogene's Annual Report on Form 20-F and in other information Evogene files and furnishes with the Israel Securities Authority and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors under the heading “Risk Factors”. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we disclaim any obligation or commitment to update any information contained in this presentation or to publicly release the results of any revisions to any statements that may be made to reflect future events or developments or changes in expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.The information contained herein does not constitute a prospectus or other offering document, nor does it constitute or form part of any invitation or offer to sell, or any solicitation of any invitation or offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Evogene or the Company, nor shall the information or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any action, contract, commitment or relating thereto or to the securities of Evogene or the Company.The trademarks included herein are the property of the owners thereof and are used for reference purposes only. Such use should not be construed as an endorsement of our products or services. 

 INTRODUCTION 

 43  OUR VISION  Commercialize effective, precise and stable medical cannabis products, based on decoding plant genetics, for optimized therapeutic effect 

   Global Cannabis Market    20.4  26  32  38  46.8  43     Source: Arcview Market Research/BDSA 

   Market Challenges  STABILITY  Substantial variationswithin varieties produceinconsistent products andtherefore, inconsistent results  YIELD  Low yield of active compounds affects income per sq foot  SPECIFICITY  Significant knowledge gap prevents matching active compounds to medical indications     The opportunity : With state-of-the-art plant genomic expertise, major market challenges can be solved 

   The opportunityFrom Plant Genetics – To Medical Cannabis Products  Plant genetics know-how is the basis for development of premium Cannabis varieties  Premium varieties can lead to novel medical Cannabis products addressing market challenges      

 PRODUCTS 

 Optimize consumer traits [e.g. inflorescence size, density, scent]  Increased active compounds[e.g. Increased trichomes prevalence]   MetaYield+ Stable enhancement of total plant compoundsFocus on agronomic and consumer traits  Compound profile focus [e.g. CBG, CBC]  Medical indication focus [e.g. Pain & Inflammation]  Precise+ Stable enhancement of specific active compoundsFocus on therapeutic traits               Variety Families Under Development  First products in the market  Next generation products 

   MetaYield+ Varieties – The G-nnovation series   *IMC- Israel Medical Cannabis agency in the Ministry of Health  Now available in more than 70 pharmacies in Israel   IMC* category T15C3  18 % THCHigh consumer rank   IMC* category T20C4  21 % THCHigh consumer rank   Use   Day   Scent   Pine Lemon   Active compounds   THC18%,CBD>0.1   Use   Night  Active compounds   THC21%,CBD>0.1   Scent   Pine Sweet   Product 1: G150  Product 2: G200 

   Precise+: Medical indication focus        Indication: Inflammation  Pre-clinical study: Hadassah medical center  Status: product development   Expected launch: 2023  Indication: Pain  PRODUCT 2 (under development)   Pre-clinical study: Migal research center  Status: product development   Expected launch: 2023  Target market size in 2023*: Israel $280 M, EU $750M  Target market size in 2023*: Israel $115M, EU $300M  *Company estimate, based on current market sale prices and data published by Israeli Ministry of Health regarding number of medical cannabis users in Israel and by Prohibition Partners in The European Cannabis Report Feb 2020.                      PRODUCT 1 (under development)  

   Collaboration With Tikun Olam-Cannbit  Targeting specific compound profile      Pre-clinical study: under evaluation  Status: product development           Precise+: Specific compound profile   PRODUCT 3 (under development)  

 Technology 

   The Genomic Power – improving performance   The potential:Improving plant traits through advanced breeding   Cultured Maze  Wild Maze  Example – Corn is considered a leading commercial crop Wild corn went through genetic changes before it became a commercial crop.   The challenge: Connect genomic elements to traitsShorten the development time   The opportunity => BIG DATA AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY  

 Computational Genomics Combining deep scientific know-how with Big Data and AI technology to tailor the plant genetics for improvement of plant traits and development of unique cannabis products  When Data Meets Computational Biology   BIG DATA  Genomics  AI 

   Canonic proprietary database and assets  >1000 characterized lines (>17.5*106 data points)  Genotype  Phenotype   Pre-clinical  Chemotype     Genetic markersFor traits of interest (e.g. active compounds)  Diverse Breeding populationsProprietary hybrids  Accumulated assets  Genetic bank 'Mother' plants, seeds, tissue culture 

   Products         BIG DATA  AI  Computational genomics tools        Plant genomics database with >109 data points on > 200 plants   Proprietary Cannabis genomic & chemical data on > 1000 lines  Pre-clinical data    Big Data & AI transforming Data to Know-how  

   The genomic power – 20% increase in THC content    THC content (%)  Developing next generation MetaYield+ products By leveraging our unique proprietary know-how and database, within 12 months we have:Improved the target trait by 20%Reached 6-fold increase in number of cannabis lines with >20% THC content  20% THC increase   Initial population  New hybrids  Frequency in population      +20%  X6 lines    20%    THC 

   Demonstrated Capabilities Along The Development Value Chain  Large genetic & breeding collections  Certified Propagation farm   State of the art data collection tools  Fully equipped labs & tissue culture rooms  Advanced-breeding facility   World-class computational genomics  Canonic holds computational genomics capabilities and the full plant infrastructure to execute 

 Business model 

   Patients  VarietiesDevelopment  R&D Facilities  Distribution  RegionalDistributors  Seeds & SeedlingProduction  PropagationFarms  Sales& Marketing  Manufacturing  Extraction &Formulation  CannabisCultivation  Cultivators  ACTIVITY                            B2B2C marketing to Pharmacies   Seed to Sale Powered by Genomics  Cannabis Value Chain 

   Reduced time to market and higher profitability by leveraging our proprietary genomic expertise and outsourcing downstream elements of the value chain   Patients  VarietiesDevelopment  Active R&D Facilities  Distribution  RegionalDistributors  Seeds & SeedlingProduction  Active PropagationFarm  Sales& Marketing    Manufacturing  Extraction &Formulation  CannabisCultivation  Cultivators  ACTIVITY                Active suppliers  Canonic in the Cannabis Value Chain  Active suppliers  Service providers               Active suppliers 

 Summary 

   Team  Dr. Inbal Dangoor  VP R&D  Guy Adler  VP Product  Yonatan Wegman  Head Agronomist  Dr. Michi Brog  Plant Breeder  Dr. Arnon Heyman  CEO  Elena Huly  Marketing & Sales  Dr. Haleli Sharir   Clinical Research Director   Tanya Damm Bokobza  EVP Business Development 

   Directors and Advisory Board  Board of directors   Ofer Haviv Chairman of the board   Evogene President & CEO  Raanan CohenBusiness strategy   Former CEO Koor Industries   Prof. Yossi TamCannabinoid clinical research   Director, Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research of the Hebrew University  Dr. Yariv BrotmanPlant metabolic pathways   Ben Gurion University & Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology   Dorit KreinerFinance  Evogene CFO  Nirit ElyovichMarketing strategy   Senior marketing specialist with over 20 years of B2C experience  Shai LeviatovPlant breeding   Commercial varieties breeding for more than 30 years in top leading multinational seeds companies   Advisory board  Omri OferPharmaceutical distribution  Former CEO Chemipal  

   Company Milestones      Establishment  POC & Go-to-Market   MetaYield+ Pre-Commercial   MetaYield + Commercial  Precise + Market entry   Market entry N. America  2019  2020  2021  2022            1  2  3  4  5  Infrastructure, Genetic collection     Go to Market- IL     Initial sales-IL    2023  2024 and onward  Target Markets  IL  IL, EU  IL, EU, N. America       Go to Market- EU    Initial sales-EU    Initial sales-NA    Value creation   Time 

   Canonic’s distinct market advantage is in mapping, decoding and stabilizing cannabis genetics for better health.Canonic holds exclusive rights to Evogene’s (NASDAQ, TASE: EVGN) state-of-the-art computational genomics technology, for product development for the Cannabis market segment.Canonic’s first two products, G-150 and G-200, were launched in Israel in October 2021. Next generation products are expected to focus on 2 major medical indications, pain and inflammation, which represent > 60% of the medical market*.Canonic aims to enter the EU market during 2023.  Summary   *Company estimate, based on data published by Israeli Ministry of Health regarding number of medical cannabis users in Israel 

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