Kurs & Likviditet
Beskrivning
Land | Norge |
---|---|
Lista | OB Match |
Sektor | Hälsovård |
Industri | Bioteknik |
2021-04-26 15:00:03
Bergen, Norway, 26 April 2021 - BerGenBio ASA (OSE:BGBIO), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for
severe unmet medical need, is pleased to announce that a poster presentation on
pre-clinical COVID-19 data has been accepted for presentation at Virtual
Immunology 2021, taking place from 10-15 May 2021. Virtual Immunology 2021 is
the 104[th] annual conference of the American Association of Immunologists.
The presentation illustrates findings from a pre-clinical study conducted by
BerGenBio's scientific collaborator Professor Wendy Maury, Professor of
Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa, to evaluate AXL as a
therapeutic target for COVID-19 and the potential effect of BerGenBio's
selective AXL inhibitor bemcentinib, shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in in
vitro and in vivo models.
The abstract was deemed to be exceptional by the Virtual Immunology 2021
reviewers so the author, Dana Bohan, a PhD candidate from the University of
Iowa, will receive a 2021 AAI Late Breaking Poster Award.
Poster presentation details at Virtual Immunology 2021 are as follows:
Title: Phosphatidylserine Receptors Enhancement of SARS-CoV-2 Entry: AXL as a
Therapeutic Target for COVID-19
Date: Monday, May 10[th] 2021
Time: 6:30-8:00pm ET
The poster presentation will be made available at BerGenBio's website
www.bergenbio.com at the date of the presentation.
-Ends-
About AXL
AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator of the
biological mechanisms underlying life-threatening diseases.
In COVID-19, AXL has two synergistic mechanisms of action, it acts a co-receptor
to ACE2, to which the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus attaches and enters
the host cell, and AXL expression is upregulated that leads to suppression of
the Type 1 Interferon immune response by host cells and in their environment.
Research data confirms bemcentinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry and
promotes the anti-viral Type I interferon response.
In cancer, increase in AXL expression has been linked to key mechanisms of drug
resistance and immune escape by tumour cells, leading to aggressive metastatic
cancers. AXL suppresses the body's immune response to tumours and drives
treatment failure across many cancers. High AXL expression defines a very poor
prognosis subgroup in most cancers. AXL inhibitors, such as bemcentinib,
therefore, have potential high value as monotherapy and as the cornerstone of
cancer combination therapy, addressing significant unmet medical needs and
multiple high-value market opportunities.
Research has also shown that AXL mediates other aggressive diseases including
fibrosis.
About Bemcentinib
Bemcentinib (formerly known as BGB324), is a potential first-in-class, potent
and highly selective AXL inhibitor, currently in a broad phase II clinical
development programme. It is administered as an oral capsule and taken once per
day. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating bemcentinib in COVID-19, and
multiple solid and haematological tumours, in combination with current and
emerging therapies (including immunotherapies, targeted therapies and
chemotherapy), and as a single agent. Bemcentinib targets and binds to the
intracellular catalytic kinase domain of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and
inhibits its activity.
About BerGenBio ASA
BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing
transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for
aggressive diseases, including immune-evasive, therapy resistant cancers. The
company's proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially first-in
-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II clinical development
programme focused on combination and single agent therapy in cancer, leukaemia
and COVID-19. A first-in-class functional blocking anti-AXL
antibody, tilvestamab, is undergoing phase I clinical testing. In
parallel, BerGenBio is developing a companion diagnostic test to identify
patient populations most likely to benefit from AXL inhibition: this is expected
to facilitate more efficient registration trials supporting a precision medicine
-based commercialisation strategy.
BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The
company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more
information, visit?www.bergenbio.com
Contacts
ir@bergenbio.com
Richard Godfrey CEO, BerGenBio ASA
Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA
rune.skeie@bergenbio.com
+47 917 86 513
International Media Relations
Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy Featherstone,
Carina Jurs, Consilium Strategic Communications
bergenbio@consilium-comms.com
+44 20 3709 5700
Media Relations in Norway
Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers
stiff@crux.no
+47 995 13 891
Forward looking statements
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not
historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are
based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently
subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important
factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations
expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5
-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.