On April 20, 2020 Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN), a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company and leader in predictive target discovery, reported the publication of a peer reviewed paper titled "Characterization of BAY 1905254, a novel immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting the immunoglobulin-like domain containing receptor 2 (ILDR2)" describing BAY 1905254’s ability to trigger an anti-tumor immune response in mice, supporting its clinical evaluation as a cancer immunotherapy (Press release, Compugen, APR 20, 2020, View Source [SID1234556444]). The preclinical studies, published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper), were conducted in collaboration between Compugen and Bayer AG, with data demonstrating BAY 1905254 in vitro T cell activation and in vivo anti-tumor activity.
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ILDR2 is a novel therapeutic target in immuno-oncology discovered computationally by Compugen and licensed to Bayer under a research and development collaboration and license agreement. ILDR2 is expressed by a specialized stromal cell subset so called fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) located in the lymph node where T cell priming and initiation of local T cell responses occur. Therefore, the hypothesis on the mode of action of BAY 1905254 is that the blockade of the immunosuppressive function of ILDR2 in the lymph node results in enhanced T cell priming, allowing for enhanced anti-cancer immune responses. BAY 1905254 is currently being evaluated by Bayer in a Phase 1 study as monotherapy and in combination with Keytruda in patients with advanced solid tumors.
"This publication further supports and extends our prior published studies on ILDR2, offering additional validation to Compugen’s ability to discover computationally untapped drug targets. It also further substantiates ILDR2’s role as a new immune checkpoint with possible applications in oncology and autoimmune diseases," said Anat Cohen-Dayag, Ph.D., President and CEO of Compugen. "ILDR2’s differentiated mode of action suggests that BAY 1905254 has the potential to expand treatment options for cancer patients unresponsive or refractory to existing immunotherapies."
"Bayer has been an excellent partner to us and we are very pleased with their continued commitment and investment in the clinical development of BAY 1905254," added Dr. Cohen-Dayag.
The paper was co-authored by scientists at Bayer and Compugen.