CGEN-327 is a previously unknown splice variant of the HE4 (Human Epididymis Protein 4) gene, which is a known biomarker for ovarian cancer. The company has also entered into a research and license option agreement for the product candidate with a diagnostic company. Patent coverage for this discovery is being pursued by Compugen.
The recently signed collaboration agreement provides Compugen’s partner with an option to obtain worldwide royalty bearing commercialization rights for diagnostic products based on this unique and novel gene product, with Compugen retaining all therapeutic applications. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Anat Cohen-Dayag, vice president of R&D for Compugen, said: This is an excellent example of Compugen’s unique ‘discovery on demand’ capabilities. In this case, we were approached by a company developing and commercializing immunoassay panels for rapid diagnosis of challenging diseases. Their specific interest was to determine whether any unknown splice variants exist for this known biomarker for ovarian cancer, an objective with a high level of industry interest and past research activity.