Compugen Presents Translational Study Results Supporting CGEN-15001 for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
November 09 2015 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Results of research collaboration with Prof.
Iain B. McInnes from Glasgow University presented at the American
College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting
Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN), a leading predictive drug
discovery company, announced that in an oral presentation at the
2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting now being held in San Francisco, CA,
the Company has disclosed recent results from a translational study
supporting the potential treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
with CGEN-15001. CGEN-15001 is an Fc fusion protein based on one of
the multiple novel immune checkpoint candidates discovered by the
Company.
The translational study, conducted in collaboration with Prof.
Iain B. McInnes from the University of Glasgow, was designed to
evaluate the potential to translate the efficacy of CGEN-15001,
previously observed in animal models of the disease, to human
patients. Prof. McInnes is a world renowned clinician and scientist
in the field of rheumatology and a member of Compugen’s scientific
advisory board.
The study’s experimental design utilizes co-cultures of immune
cells from individual RA patients that mimic the deleterious
interaction of these cells within the joints of RA patients. This
interaction drives secretion of pro-inflammatory proteins known as
cytokines that have a major role in RA pathology, leading to
chronic progressive joint inflammation and damage. Thus, these
co-cultures provide a translational tool to evaluate the effect of
potential drugs for treatment of RA.
In the reported results, CGEN-15001 was shown to inhibit the
secretion of various RA-related inflammatory cytokines in these
co-cultures, including for example TNFα, IFNγ and GM-CSF, pointing
to the mechanism by which this drug can potentially treat RA. The
anti-inflammatory effect was observed initially in healthy donors’
cells and was then successfully reproduced in cells from RA
patients, thereby confirming that the CGEN-15001 pathway is
functional and responsive in these autoimmune patients.
“We are very excited to collaborate with Compugen on this
promising drug candidate for autoimmune diseases,” said Professor
Iain B. McInnes, Muirhead Chair of Medicine and Director of
Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University
of Glasgow. “The results for CGEN-15001 obtained in my laboratory
using a translational experimental system that capitalises on near
patient immune analysis of samples from RA patient cells show that
CGEN-15001 is capable of modulating the underlying immune processes
that promote inflammation in joints of people with RA.
CGEN-15001’s unique mode of action has a potential to induce
long-term responses in patients and thus to become an important
addition to the armamentarium of autoimmune disease therapeutics,
allowing patients to live healthier and more productive lives.”
“Inhibiting immune checkpoints using antibodies to unleash the
power of the immune system is already transforming cancer therapy,
and Compugen is a clear leader in the discovery of novel immune
checkpoint drug targets,” said Anat Cohen-Dayag, Ph.D., Compugen’s
President and Chief Executive Officer. “Furthermore, the potential
for an additional major pharmaceutical opportunity exists for
immune checkpoints in the treatment of autoimmune diseases through
the use of fusion proteins based on them to inhibit immune system
activity. These important recent results for CGEN-15001, from this
patient-based translational assay performed at a world leading
center, demonstrate that CGEN-15001 has the potential to provide
relief to autoimmune patients, thus presenting a promising
therapeutic approach for RA and other autoimmune diseases.
Therefore, while maintaining our current commitment to focus our
internal R&D operations on immuno-oncology, we are now
examining various alternatives to advance CGEN-15001 as an
autoimmune product candidate."
About CGEN-15001CGEN-15001 is a novel Fc fusion protein
drug candidate for autoimmune diseases, consisting of the fusion of
the extracellular region of CGEN-15001T to an IgG Fc domain.
CGEN-15001T is a novel immune checkpoint discovered by Compugen
through its predictive discovery infrastructure. CGEN-15001 was
shown to be effective in treating several autoimmune diseases in
animal models, including models of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid
arthritis, psoriasis and type 1 diabetes. In these models,
CGEN-15001 treatment has been shown to induce a durable long-term
response suggestive of immune tolerance restoration and has also
promoted graft survival in a model of bone marrow transplantation.
Further research demonstrated that CGEN-15001 has an immune
modulatory function attenuating inflammatory responses and
promoting regulatory anti-inflammatory activity, including the
promotion of regulatory T cells.
About rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a
chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the
joints. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the
body's tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, affecting ~1%
of the population and approximately 1.3 million people in the
United States. This disease is three times more common in women
than in men and can begin at any age, but it most often starts
between 40 and 60 years of age. The disease causes chronic
inflammation of the joints and can lead to the destruction of the
cartilage, bone and ligaments, causing deformity of the joints.
Such long-term joint damage results in chronic pain, loss of
function and disability. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause
inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as in other
organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple organs of the
body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and
is also known as rheumatoid disease. Therapeutic fusion
proteins and antibodies over the past decade have revolutionized
the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, many patients still
do not respond or stop therapy because of side effects.
About CompugenCompugen is a leading drug discovery
company utilizing its broadly applicable predictive discovery
infrastructure to identify novel drug targets and develop
first-in-class biologics. The Company’s current pipeline primary
focus is on immune checkpoint target candidates discovered by the
Company, potentially providing the basis for a next wave of
therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. Compugen’s business model is
based on selectively entering into collaborations for its novel
targets and drug product candidates at various stages of research
and development under revenue-sharing agreements. The Company is
headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with R&D facilities in Tel
Aviv and South San Francisco. At the US facilities, monoclonal
antibody therapeutic candidates are discovered and developed
against the Company’s novel target candidates. For additional
information, please visit Compugen's corporate website at
www.cgen.com.
Forward Looking StatementThis 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. 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: Compugen’s business
model is substantially dependent on entering into collaboration
agreements with third parties and may not be successful in
generating revenues, and the development and commercialization of
therapeutic candidates involve many inherent risks, including
failure to progress to clinical trials or, if they progress to or
enter clinical trials, failure to receive regulatory approval.
These and other factors 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 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.
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Compugen Ltd.Tsipi HaitovskyGlobal Media Liaison .Email:
tsipih@cgen.comTel: +972-52-598-9892
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