Compugen Discloses New Results for Novel Target Candidate for Cancer Immunotherapy
01 October 2014 - 9:01PM
Business Wire
Recent data further support CGEN-15049
immune checkpoint role in inhibiting the immune response to cancer
cells
CGEN-15049 therapeutic antibody development
is underway
Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN) today disclosed results from
recent studies further confirming CGEN-15049 as a promising target
candidate for cancer immunotherapy. These recent studies evaluated
the function of this Compugen-discovered immune checkpoint
candidate on immune cells derived from the tumor environment of
melanoma patients. Based on these and earlier experimental results,
CGEN-15049, which is expressed on various cancers including lung,
ovarian, breast, colorectal, gastric, prostate and liver, is
further advancing in the Company’s Pipeline Program, with ongoing
therapeutic antibody development activities against this novel
target.
In the recent experimental studies now being disclosed,
CGEN-15049 continued to demonstrate the potential to inhibit the
immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells. More specifically,
these studies have shown that overexpression of CGEN-15049 in human
melanoma cells inhibits the activity of tumor antigen-specific
cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) derived from melanoma patients’ tumors.
These effector immune cells, also referred to as tumor infiltrating
lymphocytes (TILs), infiltrate tumors and are known to play a major
role in anti-tumor immune responses. The results suggest that
CGEN-15049 can inhibit the activity of the immune system in the
tumor microenvironment through its impact on TILs, which would
otherwise fight the tumor.
In addition, new initial experimental data from a mouse tumor
model further support expression of CGEN-15049 on suppressive
immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Together with the
previously reported expression on a wide variety of cancers, and
combined with the immunomodulatory activity of CGEN-15049 on immune
cells involved in tumor progression, these data support a potential
role for this drug target in suppressing anti-tumor immune
responses. Therefore, blockade of CGEN-15049 activity by monoclonal
antibody therapy is anticipated to result in the stimulation of an
anti-tumor immune response, leading to tumor elimination.
Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, Compugen’s President and CEO, stated, "As
we move forward with the discovery of therapeutic antibodies
targeting our novel immune checkpoint candidates, we continue to be
very pleased by the encouraging results we are achieving as we
further evaluate the eleven novel B7/CD28-like immune checkpoints
that resulted from our first focused use of Compugen’s predictive
discovery platform. These results not only demonstrate the high
accuracy of our unique discovery capability, but also demonstrate
the diversity of our Pipeline Program candidates and their
potential to inhibit the immune system’s response against cancer
through complementary mechanisms. These attributes, such as those
now being reported for CGEN-15049, could offer major benefits given
the breadth of the possible therapeutic applications for our drug
targets. Oncology drugs based on these novel immune checkpoints
could potentially have significant medical and commercial
value."
About CGEN-15049
CGEN-15049 is one of eleven novel B7/CD28-like immune
checkpoints predicted in silico by Compugen. It was previously
disclosed that this target candidate has an effect on a variety of
immune cells, supporting its role as a modulator of the immune
system. More specifically, CGEN-15049 has been shown to affect
immune cells such as Natural Killer (NK) cells, which are important
for innate anti-tumor immune responses, and various T cell types
that constitute a crucial component of the adaptive immune
response. The adaptive immune response includes inhibition of
cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which are responsible for killing tumor
cells, and promotion of inducible regulatory T cells, which play a
critical role in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
These data support the ability of CGEN-15049 to affect key
components of the immune system involved in tumor progression and
tumor elimination, thus potentially obstructing the ability of the
immune system to fight the tumor. In addition, CGEN-15049 was shown
to be expressed on a wide variety of cancers with high clinical
unmet need, such as lung, ovarian, breast, colorectal, gastric,
prostate and liver cancers.
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 monoclonal
antibody therapeutic candidates against its novel 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 inhibition by CGEN-15049
of the immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells; blockade of
CGEN-15049’s activity by monoclonal antibody therapy, resulting in
potential stimulation of an anti-tumor immune response and
potential elimination of tumors; and the potential of Compugen’s
Pipeline Program candidates to be of significant medical and
commercial value. 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+972-52-598-9892tsipihai5@gmail.com
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