Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN; TASE: CGEN) today announced the discovery and has successful testing a new drug target, CGEN-671, for multiple epithelial tumors (carcinomas).
Carcinomas, account for about 85% of all cancers, including the ten most prevalent cancers in the western world, such as breast, colon, lung, ovary, prostate, and skin cancers. Epithelial cells are the cover and lining of every surface or cavity of the body, including the skin and organs, such as the intestine, as well as the chest and the abdominal cavities.
Compugen said that CGEN-671 is a membrane splice variant of CD55, a known drug target for gastric cancer for which other companies are developing monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics. Compugen added that its Monoclonal Antibody Targets Discovery Platform initially predicted in silico the potential application of CGEN-671 as a drug target. The company subsequently successfully tested the drug on various carcimoas.
Recently concluded immunohistochemistry studies by independent pathologists using CGEN-671 specific antibodies, further confirmed the drug's potential for treating colon, breast, and lung cancer
Compugen has filed patent applications covering this novel splice variant and its various therapeutic and diagnostic utilities.
Compugen president and co-CEO Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag said, "The very exciting discovery and validation of CGEN-671 being announced today as well as the oncology target that is the subject of our recently announced collaboration with Bayer Schering Pharma, are excellent examples of the unique capabilities obtained by combining synergistic predictive platforms." She added that, after a decade of building the company's LEADS and MED infrastructure platforms, it was very gratifying to begin to see the results of these efforts.
Compugen's share rose over 75% last Wednesday, after it announced a collaboration agreement with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE; LSE: PFZ).
Compugen's share jumped over 35% in premarket trading on Nasdaq today to $5.22. The share rose 24.3% by early afternoon today to NIS 18.98.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 28, 2009
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2009