Compugen Discloses Successful Validation Results for Novel B7/CD28–like Cancer Immunotherapy Target Candidate
October 27 2014 - 6:01AM
Business Wire
CGEN-15027 is the sixth Compugen-discovered
novel immune checkpoint candidate with promising validation data
for involvement in tumor immunology
Compugen-discovered immune checkpoint
candidates show potential for development of multiple cancer
immunotherapies
Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN) today disclosed successful
experimental data for CGEN-15027, a Compugen-discovered immune
checkpoint target candidate. The experimental results include its
expression in the cancer microenvironment, both on cancer cells
derived from lung, breast, and liver cancer patients, and on tumor
infiltrating immune cells. In addition, the disclosed data
demonstrate CGEN-15027’s inhibitory effect on cancer-specific
immune cells. These results suggest that CGEN-15027 has strong
potential to serve as a target for monoclonal antibody (mAb) cancer
therapy with a mechanism of action that is potentially distinct
from previously-disclosed Compugen checkpoint target
candidates.
CGEN-15027 is one of eleven novel B7/CD28-like immune
checkpoints candidates discovered to date through the use of
Compugen’s broadly applicable predictive discovery infrastructure,
and is the sixth of these eleven for which experimental data has
been disclosed demonstrating their potential to serve as targets
for cancer immunotherapy. The different characteristics of each of
Compugen’s immune checkpoint candidates suggest that these drug
target candidates may give rise to different first-in-class cancer
therapeutics.
Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, Compugen president and CEO, stated, “Six
of our eleven computer-predicted novel immune checkpoint candidates
have demonstrated initial successful biological validation
supporting their involvement in tumor immunology. To our knowledge,
this hit rate is unprecedented. Furthermore, the remaining five are
undergoing further validation studies. These results not only
support the strength and breadth of our Pipeline Program, but also
attest to the impressive power and accuracy of our unique
predictive discovery infrastructure.”
Dr. Cohen-Dayag continued, “With respect to CGEN-15027, we are
very pleased with the experimental data now being disclosed, based
on which we have initiated a therapeutic antibody discovery program
against this promising immune checkpoint candidate.”
Initial experiments with CGEN-15027 have demonstrated inhibitory
activity in melanoma-specific human CD8 cytotoxic T cells, which
are immune cells that recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Overexpression of CGEN-15027 on these cells dampened their cancer
specific reactivity consistent with a role of an immune checkpoint.
These findings, indicating that CGEN-15027 exerts its inhibitory
effect upon its expression on T cells, support a mechanism of
action that is potentially different from previously disclosed
Compugen checkpoint target candidates. CGEN-15027 was found to be
expressed on effector immune cells within the tumor
microenvironment. Expression of CGEN-15027 was also detected on
human effector immune cells, such as NK and T cells, which play
important roles in anti-tumor immunity, further substantiating a
role for CGEN-15027 in tumor immunology. In addition, CGEN-15027
was shown to be expressed on cancer cells derived from patients
with lung, breast, and liver cancer.
About Immune Checkpoints
Immune checkpoints are inhibitory receptors and their ligands,
which are crucial for the maintenance of self-tolerance (that is,
the prevention of autoimmunity) and for the protection of tissues
from damage when the immune system is responding to pathogenic
infection or other injuries. These immune checkpoints, which are
"hijacked" by tumors to block the ability of the immune system to
destroy the tumor (immune resistance), have lately emerged as "game
changers" and promising targets for cancer
immunotherapy. Therapeutic blockade of immune checkpoints can
boost anti-tumor immunity, enabling the patient’s immune system to
recognize and attack the tumor cells, and mount durable anti-tumor
responses and tumor destruction.
The blockade of immune checkpoints unleashes the potential of
the anti-tumor immune response in a fashion that is transforming
cancer therapeutics. Checkpoint-blocking antibodies have lately
demonstrated impressive clinical benefits and long-term survival,
even for end-stage patients, raising hopes that this novel approach
will lead to effective therapeutic strategies and valuable
additions in the fight against cancer.
About Compugen
Compugen is a leading drug discovery company focused on
therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies to address important
unmet needs in the fields of oncology and immunology. The
Company utilizes a broad and continuously growing integrated
infrastructure of proprietary scientific understandings and
predictive platforms, algorithms, machine learning systems and
other computational biology capabilities for the in
silico (by computer) prediction and selection of product
candidates, which are then advanced in its Pipeline Program. The
Company's business model includes collaborations covering the
further development and commercialization of product candidates at
various stages from its Pipeline Program and various forms of
research and discovery agreements, in both cases providing Compugen
with potential milestone payments and royalties on product sales or
other forms of revenue sharing. Compugen’s wholly-owned U.S.
subsidiary located in South San Francisco is developing oncology
and immunology monoclonal antibody therapeutic candidates against
its drug targets. For additional information, please visit
Compugen's corporate website at www.cgen.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
terminology such as “will,” “may,” “expects,” “anticipates,”
“believes,” and “intends,” and describe opinions about future
events and include statements related to CGEN-15027’s potential
involvement in tumor immunology and potential ability to serve as a
target for monoclonal antibody therapy that possesses
characteristics offering new therapeutic uses in cancer
immunotherapy; CGEN 15027’s unique mechanism of action; the
potential of Compugen-discovered target candidates to serve as
targets for cancer immunotherapy for different first-in-class
cancer therapeutics; the unprecedented hit rate of Compugen’s
computer-predicted novel immune checkpoint candidates which have
demonstrated initial successful biological validation supporting
their involvement in tumor immunology; and the power and accuracy
of Compugen’s unique predictive discovery infrastructure. These
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties that may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of Compugen to be materially different from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are: changes in
relationships with collaborators; the inability to reach mutually
agreeable terms and conditions with respect to potential new
collaborations; the impact of competitive products and
technological changes; risks relating to the development of new
products; and the ability to implement technological improvements.
These and other factors are discussed in the "Risk Factors" section
of Compugen’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as other documents
that may be subsequently filed by Compugen from time to time with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any
forward-looking statements represent Compugen’s views only as of
the date of this release and should not be relied upon as
representing its views as of any subsequent date. Compugen does not
assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements
unless required by law.
Compugen Ltd.Tsipi HaitovskyGlobal Media
Liaison+972-52-598-9892tsipih@cgen.com
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