BERGEN, Norway, March 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA
(OSE: BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing
novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for severe unmet medical
need, today delivered a Science Spotlight oral presentation on
preclinical COVID-19 data at the annual Conference on Retroviruses
and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), taking place from 6-10 March 2021.
The presentation was led by BerGenBio's collaborator, Professor
Wendy Maury, Professor of
Microbiology and Immunology at the University of
Iowa (Iowa City, USA), who presented data showing that AXL
enhances the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect cell lines from the
human airway, increasing the amount of virus measured in those
cells. Treating the human cell lines, Vero E6 and human
ACE2-expressing A549 lung cancer cell lines, with the AXL kinase
inhibitor, bemcentinib reduces the amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus
infecting these cells, and it does this by reducing ACE2-mediated
viral cell entry by endocytosis, rather than at the cell
surface.
Additionally an in vivo study also measured the effect of
bemcentinib to treat a type of coronavirus which naturally infects
mice - murine hepatitis virus (MHV). In this study, not only was
bemcentinib found to significantly inhibit the viral load of MHV
found in the liver of these animals, but it also significantly
enhanced signatures of a type I IFN response, a potent mediator of
the innate antiviral response.
In conclusion, the effect of bemcentinib demonstrated potent
antiviral effects in preclinical SARS-CoV-2 and other coronavirus
models. Further, the findings support BerGenBio's ongoing Phase II
trial evaluating bemcentinib for the treatment of hospitalised
COVID-19 patients in South Africa
and India.
The presentation will be made available on BerGenBio's website
under `Presentations'.
Full details of the presentation are as follows:
Title: Targeting the receptor AXL by bemcentinib prevents
SARS-CoV-2 infection
Author: Professor Wendy
Maury, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the
University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA)
Abstract No. 2672
About AXL
AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator
of the biological mechanisms underlying life-threatening
diseases.
In COVID-19, AXL has two synergistic mechanisms of action, it
acts a co-receptor to ACE2, to which the spike protein of the
Sars-Cov-2 virus attaches and enters the host cell, and AXL
expression is upregulated that leads to suppression of the Type 1
Interferon immune response by host cells and in their environment.
Research data confirms bemcentinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 host cell
entry and promotes the anti-viral Type I interferon response.
In cancer, increase in AXL expression has been linked to key
mechanisms of drug resistance and immune escape by tumour cells,
leading to aggressive metastatic cancers. AXL suppresses the
body's immune response to tumours and drives treatment failure
across many cancers. High AXL expression defines a very poor
prognosis subgroup in most cancers. AXL inhibitors, such as
bemcentinib, therefore, have potential high value as monotherapy
and as the cornerstone of cancer combination therapy, addressing
significant unmet medical needs and multiple high-value market
opportunities. Research has also shown that AXL mediates other
aggressive diseases including fibrosis.
About Bemcentinib
Bemcentinib (formerly known as BGB324), is a potentially
first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II clinical
development programme. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating
bemcentinib in multiple solid and haematological tumours, in
combination with current and emerging therapies (including
immunotherapies, targeted therapies and chemotherapy), and as a
single agent. Bemcentinib targets and binds to the intracellular
catalytic kinase domain of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and
inhibits its activity. Increase in AXL function has been linked to
key mechanisms of drug resistance and immune escape by tumour
cells, leading to aggressive metastatic cancers.
About BerGenBio ASA
BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a
potential cornerstone of therapy for aggressive diseases, including
immune-evasive, therapy resistant cancers. The company's
proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially
first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II
clinical development programme focused on combination and single
agent therapy in lung cancer, leukaemia and COVID-19. A
first-in-class functional blocking anti-AXL
antibody, tilvestamab, is undergoing phase I clinical
testing. In parallel, BerGenBio is
developing a companion diagnostic test to identify
patient populations most likely to benefit from AXL
inhibition: this is expected to facilitate more efficient
registration trials supporting a precision medicine-based
commercialisation strategy.
BerGenBio is based in Bergen,
Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo
Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more information,
visit www.bergenbio.com
Contacts
ir@bergenbio.com
Richard Godfrey CEO, BerGenBio ASA
Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA
rune.skeie@bergenbio.com
+47 917 86 513
International Media Relations
Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy
Featherstone, Carina Jurs
Consilium Strategic Communications
bergenbio@consilium-comms.com
+44 20 3709 5700
Media Relations in Norway
Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers
stiff@crux.no
+47 995 13 891
Forward looking statements
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which
as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various
assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further
assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to
significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and
other important factors could cause actual events to differ
materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this
announcement by such forward-looking statements
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements
pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading
Act.
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