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on preclinical COVID-19 data at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and
Opportunistic Infections (CROI), taking place from 6-10 March 2021.
The presentation was led by BerGenBio’s scientific collaborator, Professor Wendy
Maury, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa (Iowa
City, USA), who presented preclinical data. The data presented included in-vitro
and in-vivo models of SARS-CoV-2 infection that causes COVID-19, and the effect
of bemcentinib treatment in these models.
The effect of bemcentinib was found to prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2, as
assessed by viral transcripts in RNAseq studies, as well as reduce the viral
load by qRT-PCR analysis in human lung epithelial, A549-hACE2 and Vero E6 cell
-line models. Bemcentinib was reported to reduce virus internalization, without
affecting virus binding, by limiting the endosomal entry route to the host
cells. In vivo, bemcentinib was found to significantly reduce murine-hepatitis
-virus liver titers, which is a measure of virus load, and significantly
enhanced signatures of type I IFN response.
In conclusion, the effect of bemcentinib demonstrated potent antiviral effects
in preclinical SARS-CoV-2 and other coronavirus models. Further, the findings
support BerGenBio’s ongoing Phase II trial evaluating bemcentinib for the
treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in South Africa and India.
The presentation will be made available on BerGenBio’s website under ‘Scientific
Presentations 2021’: https://www.bergenbio.com/videos/Wendy-CROI-Talk-5min.mp4
Details of the presentation are as follows:
Title: Targeting the receptor AXL by bemcentinib prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection
Author: Professor Wendy Maury, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the
University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA)
-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
[email protected]
Richard Godfrey CEO, BerGenBio ASA
Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA
[email protected]
+47 917 86 513
International Media Relations
Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy Featherstone, Carina Jurs
Consilium Strategic Communications
[email protected]
+44 20 3709 5700
Media Relations in Norway
Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers
[email protected]
+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.
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