Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN)
disclosed today positive experimental results for CGEN-15052, a novel
immune checkpoint candidate for cancer immunotherapy, which in several
experimental settings demonstrated robust inhibition of T cell
activation, both as a membrane protein and as an Fc fusion protein.
Initial testing of human cancer tissue samples with a polyclonal
antibody indicated that CGEN-15052 is expressed in multiple epithelial
cancers, with particularly high expression in lung cancer samples. These
positive findings support CGEN-15052’s involvement in tumor immunology
and its potential as a target for cancer immunotherapy.
Compugen also disclosed today the predictive discovery of two new
B7-like immune checkpoint candidates, increasing to eleven the total
number of such candidates discovered to date by the Company in this area
of high medical and pharmaceutical industry interest. The predictive
discovery of these two new immune checkpoint candidates was accomplished
utilizing the same predictive models and algorithms that led to the
identification of nine novel candidates in the Company’s earlier
discovery efforts, but followed enhancement of these models and
algorithms through incorporation of additional information obtained from
those initial efforts.
Dr. Anat Cohen Dayag, Compugen’s President and CEO, stated, “Our
disclosures today of successful experimental results for another of our
initial nine checkpoint discoveries, and of new discoveries from a
follow-on run utilizing the same predictive models, but enhanced with
information from such initial discovery efforts, provide excellent
validation of the value and uniqueness of our predictive discovery
capabilities. After more than a decade of extensive multidisciplinary
research to gain deeper understanding of key biological phenomena,
providing the basis for the creation of our predictive models and
discovery platforms, it is very rewarding to see these promising results
from our first focused use of this powerful capability.”
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 "highjacked" 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 immunology and oncology. 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 http://www.cgen.com/.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
including statements related to the potential of CGEN-15052 for cancer
immunotherapy. 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.
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.
Copyright Business Wire 2014