Compugen, Mount Sinai Collaborate on Novel Myeloid Immuno-Oncology Targets

Compugen announced the initiation of a multi-year cancer immunotherapy research collaboration with Mount Sinai, under the direction of Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, Director of the Precision Immunology Institute and Co-Leader of the Cancer Immunology program and Mount Sinai Professor in Cancer Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Merad is a leader in the field of myeloid biology for the development of novel cancer immunotherapies and is a member of Compugen's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

"After joining Compugen's SAB earlier this year, I grew more familiar with and impressed by the Company's promising novel immuno-oncology drug target pipeline. I am looking forward to collaborating with Compugen scientists in advancing the Company's myeloid target candidates portfolio," Dr. Merad said. "Targeting myeloid biology, through Compugen myeloid target candidates, may potentially elicit a strong anti-tumor effect. Therapeutic development against myeloid targets can potentially provide a solution for cancer patients non-responsive to current treatments or serve as a combination therapy with existing immune checkpoint inhibitors in order to increase their response rate."

The collaboration will focus on the research and target validation of selected myeloid candidates discovered by Compugen for their potential to serve as a basis for cancer immunotherapy treatments, including the validation of their role in innate immunity and involvement in tumor biology.

Myeloid cells are a critical component of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), preventing T cells from entering the tumor and eliciting an immune response against the tumor. Targeting tumor myeloid cells may create an immune response towards the cancer, which has emerged as a complimentary strategy of multiple cancer immunotherapy approaches. This method can potentially elucidate a strong anti-tumor effect transforming a cold, or uninflamed tumor into a hot, or inflamed tumor. Therefore, it can potentially provide a solution for non-responsive patients or serve as a combination therapy with existing immune checkpoint therapies in order to increase their response rate.