Compugen Has Licensed Selexis’ Cell Line-Based Protein Expression Platform for the Development of Antibody-Based Therapeutics

Selexis SUREtechnology Platform™ in use for the generation of high-performance research cell banks for Compugen

GENEVA—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Selexis SA, a pioneering life sciences company and a global leader in mammalian cell line generation technology, announced today that Compugen Ltd. has taken a license to the Selexis SUREtechnology Platform™ for use in generating high-performance research cell banks (RCBs). A leader in predictive discovery and development of first-in-class therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy, Compugen will leverage Selexis’ mammalian cell line-based protein expression platform to develop antibody-based therapeutics targeting certain cancers, including to support further advancement of COM701.

Compugen’s lead immuno-oncology product candidate, COM701, is a humanized hybridoma antibody that binds with high affinity to PVRIG, a novel B7/CD28-like immune checkpoint target candidate discovered by Compugen, blocking its interaction with PVRL2. The candidate is currently in preclinical development with an investigational new drug (IND) application filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expected towards the end of the first quarter of 2018.

“Our agreement with Compugen is indicative of Selexis’ strength in protein expression and our leadership in bringing an innovative technology solution to our partners,” said Yemi Onakunle, PhD, Selexis vice president, business development and licensing. “It is rewarding for us to play a role in the important research and development efforts ongoing at Compugen and we value the opportunity to continue to play a role in enabling our partners to bring much needed treatment options to patients.”

“The Selexis SUREtechnology Platform enabled us to quickly generate a high-expressing cell line to support COM701 development activities,” said John Hunter, PhD, Compugen vice president of antibody R&D. “We look forward to working with the Selexis team as we advance future programs into the clinic.”

Selexis’ proprietary and high performance SUREtechnology Platform facilitates the rapid, stable and cost-effective production of virtually any recombinant protein including those that are difficult to express in other systems. It also provides seamless integration of the biologics and vaccine development continuum, spanning discovery to commercialization.