Compugen and Bayer Schering Pharma to Collaborate on Compugen Discovered Oncology Target and Splice Variants
13 Octubre 2009 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ:CGEN) announced today that they have
signed a collaboration agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma AG,
Germany (“Bayer”) covering the further evaluation of a Compugen
discovered tumor target and its splice variants. Following an
initial six month joint research stage, the agreement provides
Bayer with an option for an exclusive worldwide royalty bearing
license for development of monoclonal antibodies and other
therapeutic agents addressing these novel target molecules. The
existence of the target and its splice variants was initially
predicted in silico by Compugen through the use of its Monoclonal
Antibody (mAb) Targets Discovery Platform; the predicted molecules
were then validated experimentally.
The newly discovered tumor target and its splice variants are
previously unknown splice variants of a known cancer target for
which therapeutic agents are currently in pre-clinical development
by other organizations. Like the known cancer target, this protein
molecule and its variants are all trans-membrane proteins. However,
each of the Compugen molecules has a unique sequence at the
extracellular domain of the protein that enables the development of
monoclonal antibodies specific to each of the respective splice
variants. Therefore each splice variant could represent a novel
target for monoclonal antibody therapy.
A common feature of Compugen’s discovery platforms, such as the
mAb Targets Discovery Platform used in this discovery, is the
ability to predict and select multiple potential product candidates
for each indication of interest. The availability of multiple
candidates, in this case a number of different splice variants,
should increase the probability of success for the overall
program.
Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, co-CEO of Compugen said, “Usage of our mAb
Targets Discovery Platform is now providing us with a growing
inventory of novel target candidates, such as the specific targets
covered by this agreement, displaying differential expression in a
range of tumor vs. healthy samples. Discovery of target candidates
is a key step in the development of monoclonal antibody
biotherapeutics for both solid tumors such as ovarian cancer, lung
cancer, and colon cancer, as well as hematological malignancies
such as multiple myeloma, acute and chronic leukemia and Non
Hodgkin lymphoma; and, we are now seeing a growing interest in both
our existing target candidates and further applications of the
platform. We are therefore very enthusiastic about the clinical and
commercial potential for this unique discovery platform and are
especially pleased to enter into this collaboration with Bayer
Schering Pharma, a world leading pharmaceutical company.”
About Compugen’s Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) Targets Discovery
Platform
During the past two decades, monoclonal antibodies have emerged
as an important and rapidly growing new drug class, and identifying
the appropriate targets is recognized as the key discovery
requirement. In addition, this class of drugs has demonstrated a
higher probability of success in clinical development in comparison
with other drug classes. Compugen’s mAb Targets Discovery Platform
relies on Compugen’s LEADS and MED capabilities, two proprietary
infrastructure platforms that power, together or separately, a
number of the Company’s ten existing product candidate discovery
platforms. LEADS provides a comprehensive view of the human
transcriptome, proteome, and peptidome, allowing the discovery of
numerous novel genes, proteins, and peptides. It includes extensive
gene and protein information and annotation, such as splice
variants, antisense genes, SNPs, novel genes, chimeric genes and
RNA editing. The MED Platform provides an integrated database
composed of the results from more than 40,000 public and
proprietary microarray experiments, normalized and organized into
approximately 1,400 therapeutically relevant conditions (i.e.
normal tissues, malignant tissues, tissues from drug treated
patients, etc.). Utilizing a sophisticated query interface, the MED
platform allows the examination of the expression of genes and
pathways across all 1,400 tissues and conditions
simultaneously.
In addition to incorporating MED and LEADS, the mAb Targets
Discovery Platform utilizes multiple data sources and algorithms to
predict a large number of novel membrane proteins that can serve as
targets for antibody therapeutics, such as for various cancer and
autoimmune diseases. The selection of appropriate candidates from
this large body of predicted membrane proteins is accomplished
using sub-modules of algorithms and other computational tools
developed specifically for each disease state or protein
family.
About Compugen
Compugen is a leading drug and diagnostic product candidate
discovery company. Unlike traditional high throughput trial and
error experimental based discovery, Compugen’s discovery efforts
are based on in-silico (by computer) prediction and selection
utilizing a growing number of field focused proprietary discovery
platforms accurately modeling biological processes at the molecular
level. The resulting product candidates are then validated through
in vitro and in vivo experimental studies and out-licensed for
further development and commercialization under various forms of
revenue sharing agreements. Compugen’s collaborations include Bayer
Schering Pharma, Biosite, Medarex, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc.,
Merck Serono, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (a Johnson & Johnson
company), Roche, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Inc., and Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries. In 2002, Compugen established an
affiliate, Evogene Ltd. www.evogene.com (TASE: EVGN.TA), to utilize
certain of the Company’s in-silico predictive discovery
capabilities in agricultural biotechnology. For additional
information, please visit Compugen's corporate Web site at
www.cgen.com.
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements include words such as “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
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
identified and more fully explained under the heading "Risk
Factors" in Compugen's annual reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
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