Compugen announces executive leadership changes

HOLON, Israel - Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN) (TASE: CGEN), a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company trading at $1.32 per share, today announced a reshuffle in its top leadership, slated for September 2025 after its Annual General Meeting. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company’s stock appears undervalued despite falling nearly 35% over the past year. Anat Cohen-Dayag, Ph.D., will transition from her role as President and CEO to become the Executive Chair of the Board of Directors, pending shareholder approval. Eran Ophir, Ph.D., will be elevated from Chief Scientific Officer to President and CEO and will also join the Board of Directors, subject to shareholder approval. Paul Sekhri is set to step down as the current Chair of the Board of Directors.

Dr. Cohen-Dayag has been at the helm of Compugen since 2010, steering the company through significant developments, including the advancement of its clinical immunotherapy pipeline and the establishment of strategic collaborations. Under her leadership, the company has maintained strong financial health, with InvestingPro data showing a robust current ratio of 5.26 and minimal debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. In her forthcoming role, she will concentrate on corporate strategy and investor relations.

The outgoing Chair, Paul Sekhri, expressed his confidence in the company’s future under the new leadership, citing the strong foundation laid during his tenure.

Dr. Ophir, who has been instrumental in research and discovery at Compugen, will assume the leadership role, bringing his scientific and strategic expertise to the forefront. He has been a key figure in the company’s scientific achievements and partnerships, notably contributing to the recent collaboration with Gilead.

Compugen is recognized for its proprietary computational discovery platform, Unigen™, which has been crucial in identifying new drug targets and advancing its proprietary product candidates, including COM701 and COM902, into clinical development. The company also has strategic partnerships with AstraZeneca and Gilead for the development of bispecific and multispecific antibodies.

The announcement underscores Compugen’s commitment to its growth strategy and the continuous development of innovative cancer immunotherapies. The leadership transition is expected to be seamless, with the Board expressing confidence in the new appointments. With the company’s next earnings report due on May 19, 2025, InvestingPro subscribers can access 8 additional key insights and a comprehensive Pro Research Report, providing crucial analysis for this transitional period.

This news update is based on a press release statement from Compugen Ltd. and does not include any additional analysis or opinion.

In other recent news, Compugen Ltd. reported its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, revealing a significant shortfall in both earnings per share (EPS) and revenue compared to market expectations. The company posted an EPS of -$0.07, missing the expected $0.02, and revenue of $1.47 million, which fell short of the $11.66 million forecast. Annual revenues decreased to $27.9 million from $33.5 million in 2023, indicating a 16.7% year-over-year decline. Despite these challenges, Compugen maintains a strong cash position with a balance of $103.3 million as of December 31, 2024, projected to support operations into 2027.

In other developments, Compugen is set to initiate a pivotal trial in the second quarter of 2025 for its drug COM701, targeting patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. The company anticipates interim data from this study to be available in the second half of 2026. Additionally, Compugen is monitoring the progress of two of its licensed programs: rilvegostomig, licensed to AstraZeneca, and GS-0321, licensed to Gilead Sciences. Interim data from the rilvegostomig studies is expected in 2025.

Analyst Tony Blair from Rodman & Renshaw has reaffirmed a Buy rating on Compugen, maintaining a $4.00 price target, highlighting the company’s strategic focus on advancing its clinical pipeline. This includes partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and Gilead, which could potentially lead to milestone payments and royalties upon drug approvals.

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