- COM701 + nivolumab + BMS-986207 (anti-TIGIT) resulted in
clinically meaningful durable partial responses > 16 months in
platinum resistant ovarian cancer patients
- COM701 dual and triple combinations mediated clinical benefit
in platinum resistant ovarian cancer patients, independent of
baseline inflammatory status and was associated with an increase
in T cell infiltration to the tumor
- Metastatic breast cancer adds to previous indications in which
COM701 combinations show clinical benefit in tumors typically not
responding to immunotherapy
- PVRL2, the PVRIG ligand, identified as potential predictive
biomarker for certain indications
- Data presented at the SITC conference held on November 1-5, 2023 will be discussed during the
Company's Q3 results conference call on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 8:30 AM ET
HOLON, Israel, Nov. 6, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN) (TASE:CGEN) a
clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company and a pioneer in
computational target discovery, today announced data presented
at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
(SITC), held on November 1-5, 2023.
The results reinforce previous data suggesting COM701 mediated
anti-tumor activity in patients typically not responding to
immunotherapy. For the first time, initial data showing the
association between baseline PVRL2 levels and clinical benefit was
presented, suggesting the potential of PVRL2 as a predictive
biomarker for clinical benefit in certain indications helping to
inform future direction of studies with a biomarker driven
strategy.
"We were delighted to present at SITC clinical data which
reinforces data previously presented, suggesting that COM701
mediated anti-tumor activity in patients typically not responding
to immunotherapy", said Anat
Cohen-Dayag, Ph.D., President, and CEO of Compugen. "The
clinical benefit shown in patients with platinum resistant ovarian
cancer was associated with infiltration of T cells into the tumor
microenvironment and independent of baseline inflammatory status,
suggesting a COM701 mediated mechanism of action. In addition, we
presented data in metastatic breast cancer, another indication in
which patients who typically do not respond to immunotherapy,
derived clinical benefit from COM701 combinations."
Dr. Cohen-Dayag added, "We are also excited with the progress we
have made on the predictive biomarker front, consistent with our
deep understanding of the biology of PVRIG. At SITC, we presented
for the first time initial data suggesting an association between
baseline levels of the ligand for PVRIG, PVRL2, and clinical
benefit, suggesting PVRL2 may be a predictive biomarker to help
enrich for patients who may derive clinical benefit from our COM701
combinations. We are continuing to assess this association in our
ongoing proof-of-concept study in platinum resistant ovarian cancer
in which biopsies are mandatory. Acknowledging the competitive
evolving platinum resistant ovarian cancer treatment landscape, we
believe a biomarker that would help to enrich for patients who
could derive clinical benefit, and together with durable responses
and safety profile of our triplet combination, could support us in
building a unique development path of our triplet regimen in these
patients."
Stephanie Gaillard, M.D., Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Baltimore, and first author of the
study added, "Durable partial responses lasting more than 16 months
is clinically meaningful in patients with high grade epithelial
platinum resistant ovarian cancer. While the numbers are small,
typical median duration of response is 3-4 months with
standard chemotherapy and 6.9 months reported in patients treated
with the recently approved antibody drug conjugate. What is also
notable is the favorable safety profile of this triple blockade of
PVRIG, TIGIT and PD-1. I look forward to the results of the ongoing
proof-of-concept study evaluating the combination of COM701, COM902
and pembrolizumab in platinum resistant ovarian cancer
patients."
Ecaterina Dumbrava, M.D., The
University of Texas MD, Anderson Cancer
Center, Houston, Texas, and first
author of the study continued, "Following treatment with COM701 in
combination with nivolumab, it is encouraging to see a complete
response of greater than 21 months and a partial response of 10
months in patients with metastatic breast cancer, which is
notoriously difficult to treat. Both patients had low PD-L1
expression and low tumor mutation burden at baseline. The patient
who responded for 21 months and remains on treatment at the time of
data cut off is HER 2 negative, a tumor which is considered as
immune cold. The patient who responded for 10 months had a triple
negative breast cancer, which is the fastest growing and most
aggressive kind of breast cancer. It is also notable that the
combination has favorable safety and tolerability profile. These
data warrant further investigation of this combination with the
addition of the anti-TIGIT, COM902, in tumors not typically
responding to immunotherapy to address a significant unmet medical
need."
Poster presentation details:
The posters are available on the publication section of
Compugen's website.
Title: Immune modulation and baseline biomarker
correlation with clinical benefit following treatment with COM701 +
nivolumab +/- BMS-986207 in patients with platinum resistant
ovarian cancer
First Author: Gady
Cojocaru
Title: The combination of COM701 + nivolumab demonstrates
preliminary antitumor activity in patients with metastatic breast
cancer
First Author: Ecaterina
Dumbrava
Title: Durable responses with triple blockade of the
DNAM-1 axis with COM701 + BMS-986207 + nivolumab in patients with
platinum resistant ovarian cancer
First Author: Stephanie
Gaillard
The data will be discussed during the Compugen's Q3 conference
call tomorrow November 7, 2023 at
8:30AM ET. To access the live
conference call by telephone, please dial 1-866-744-5399 from the
U.S., or +972-3-918-0644 internationally. The call will be
available via live webcast through Compugen's website, located at
the following link.
Following the live webcast, a replay will be available on the
Company's website.
About Compugen
Compugen is a
clinical-stage therapeutic discovery and development company
utilizing its broadly applicable predictive computational discovery
capabilities to identify new drug targets and biological pathways
for developing cancer immunotherapies. Compugen has developed
two proprietary product candidates: COM701, a potential
first-in-class anti-PVRIG antibody and COM902, a potential
best-in-class antibody targeting TIGIT for the treatment of solid
tumors. Compugen also has a clinical stage partnered program,
rilvegostomig (previously AZD2936), a PD-1/TIGIT bi-specific
derived from COM902, in Phase 3 development by AstraZeneca through
a license agreement for the development of bi-specific and
multi-specific antibodies. In addition, the Company's
therapeutic pipeline of early-stage immuno-oncology programs
consists of programs aiming to address various mechanisms of immune
resistance. The most advanced program, COM503 is in IND enabling
studies. COM503 is a potential first-in-class, high affinity
antibody which blocks the interaction between IL-18 binding protein
and IL-18, thereby freeing natural IL-18 to inhibit cancer growth
in the tumor microenvironment. Compugen is headquartered in
Israel, with offices in
San Francisco, CA. Compugen's
shares are listed on Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
under the ticker symbol CGEN.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release
contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are
based on the current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions of
Compugen. Forward-looking statements can be identified using
terminology such as "will," "may," "expects," "anticipates,"
"believes," "potential," "plan," "goal," "estimate," "likely,"
"should," "confident," and "intends," and similar expressions that
are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not
all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,
statements regarding the possibility that COM701 may mediate
anti-tumor activity in patients typically not responding to
immunotherapy, statements regarding the association between
baseline PVRL2 levels and clinical benefit and the potential of
PVRL2 as a predictive biomarker for clinical benefit in certain
indications, statements regarding future direction of studies with
a biomarker driven strategy, statements regarding the development
of Compugen's triplet regimen in certain patients and statements
regarding the favorable safety profile of this triple blockade of
PVRIG, TIGIT and PD-1. 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. Among these risks: the clinical trials of any product
candidates that Compugen, or any current or future collaborators,
may develop may fail to satisfactorily demonstrate safety and
efficacy to the FDA, and Compugen, or any collaborators, may incur
additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately
be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of
these product candidates; Compugen's business model is
substantially dependent on entering into collaboration agreements
with third parties and Compugen may not be successful in generating
adequate revenues or commercializing aspects of its business model.
Compugen's approach to the discovery of therapeutic products is
based on its proprietary computational target discovery
infrastructure, which is unproven clinically; general market,
political and economic conditions in the countries in which
Compugen operates, including Israel; the effect of the evolving
nature of the recent war in Gaza;
and Compugen does not know whether it will be able to discover and
develop additional potential product candidates or products of
commercial value. These risks and other risks are more fully
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 (SEC) as well as other documents that may be
subsequently filed by Compugen from time to time with the SEC. 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.
Company contact:
Yvonne
Naughton, Ph.D.
Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Email: ir@cgen.com
Tel: +1 (628) 241-0071
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/compugens-com701-anti-pvrig-mediates-anti-tumor-activity-in-patients-typically-not-responding-to-immunotherapy-301978297.html
SOURCE Compugen Ltd.