On April 25, 2025 Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: COGT), a biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases, reported preclinical data from four pipeline programs during poster sessions at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2025 Annual Meeting taking place in Chicago (Press release, Cogent Biosciences, APR 25, 2025, View Source [SID1234652141]).
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
"We welcome the opportunity to present updated results from these programs that represent our exciting pipeline of potential best-in-class targeted therapies," said Andrew Robbins, Cogent’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "These data demonstrate Cogent’s ability to discover and advance novel therapies for rare disease populations with high unmet medical need, and we look forward to continuing to advance these candidates."
Poster Details
Title: Identification of a potent KRAS (ON) inhibitor with selectivity for mutant KRAS over HRAS and NRAS
Session Category: Chemistry
Session Title: Lead Identification and Optimization
Session Date and Time: April 30, 2025 – 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET)
Location: Poster Section 25
Poster Board Number: 3
Published Abstract Number: 6974
Mutations in KRAS are among the most prevalent mutations found in cancer, occurring most often in colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. The poster presented today describes Cogent’s internally-developed pan KRAS(ON) inhibitor program with selectivity over HRAS and NRAS and picomolar (pM) activity across KRAS mutations. In response to our 30mg/kg oral dose we observed robust PD including 90% tumor growth inhibition in a mouse TGI model. Lead optimization of this series is ongoing.
Title: Preclinical characterization of CGT6297, a novel PI3Kα H1047R mutant-selective inhibitor
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Kinase and Phosphatase Inhibitors 2
Session Date and Time: April 28, 2025 – 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET)
Location: Poster Section 20
Poster Board Number: 5
Published Abstract Number: 3004
Cogent is developing a potential best-in-class, wild-type-sparing, PI3Kα inhibitor that provides coverage for the both the H1047R mutation as well as E542K and E545K helical mutants. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is a key cell cycle regulating pathway that has an established role in tumor growth and development. The approved agents for these patients often lead to dose limitations, resulting from activity against wild-type PI3Kα.
In the poster being presented today, Cogent’s preclinical candidate CGT6297 demonstrates broad cellular panel profiling across multiple resistant and mutated cell lines, including, for the first time, efficacy against PI3K helical mutations. The poster also showcases the activity of CGT6297 in both ST1056 (H1047R mutant) and MCF-7 (E545K mutant) breast cancer TGI models.
Title: The Reversible and Selective FGFR2/3 inhibitor CGT4859 has superior target coverage of resistance mutations missed by leading FGFR inhibitors
Session Category: Clinical Research
Session Title: Targeted Therapies and Combinations 2
Session Date and Time: April 29, 2025 – 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET)
Location: Poster Section 34
Poster Board Number: 27
Published Abstract Number: 4729
FGFR inhibitors are well-established oncogenic drivers in multiple diseases, but approved medicines fail to capture the full landscape of FGFR altered tumor types, with FGFR1-mediated hyperphosphatemia serving as the most common dose-limiting toxicity for pan-FGFR inhibitors. The poster presented today describes Cogent’s internally-developed FGFR2/3 inhibitor which maintains potency on FGFR2 mutations and is selective against the entire kinome and a broad panel of channels and receptors. Exploratory pharmacokinetics (PK) studies conducted across species showed CGT4859 to be a low-clearance compound with high oral bioavailability. Further, in an AN3 CA model, CGT4859 demonstrated dose-responsive tumor growth inhibition with complete regressions at >2.5 mg/kg QD or BID and was well-tolerated.
Cogent is currently enrolling patients in an ongoing Phase 1 trial with CGT4859 in patients with confirmed FGFR2 or FGFR3 mutations, including patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. The trial is designed to explore the safety, tolerability and clinical activity of escalating doses with the goal of selecting an active and well tolerated dose for further clinical investigation.
Title: Identification of CGT4255 an EGFR-sparing, pan-mutant HER2 clinical development candidate with potential best-in-class brain penetration
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Novel Antitumor Agents 3
Session Date and Time: April 29, 2025 – 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET)
Location: Poster Section 21
Poster Board Number: 1
Published Abstract Number: 5623
Cogent’s potential best-in-class EGFR-sparing, brain-penetrant ErbB2 inhibitor includes potent coverage of key mutations (YVMA, S310F, V842I, L755S) inadequately addressed by currently approved therapies. Activating mutations in the ErbB2 gene have been identified in multiple cancers and demonstrate a tumorigenic role similar to that of ErbB2 amplification. New data presented on this compound describes CGT4255’s exceptional stability in human whole blood and liver cytosol fractions and high oral bioavailability and low clearance across preclinical species. In addition, CGT4255 is expected to have equivalent brain to plasma exposure suggesting potential best-in class properties.
All posters will be available on the ‘Posters and Publications’ page of Cogent’s website.
New Leadership Appointments
Cogent also announced today that Ray Frost has joined Cogent as Senior Vice President, Market Access and Adam Boyd, Ph.D. has joined Cogent as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy.
Mr. Frost joins Cogent with over 20 years of industry experience. Previously he served as Vice President Market Access at Ono Pharma USA and Zealand Pharma (Zealand). While at Zealand he played an integral part in building the commercial infrastructure to support the launch of their first product. Prior to Zealand he held roles of increasing responsibility in Market Access and Health Policy at Melinta Therapeutics, The Medicines Company, Bayer Healthcare, Eisai and MGI PHARMA. Mr. Frost is a graduate of Hofstra University.
Dr. Boyd joins Cogent with nearly 25 years of industry experience building and leading global teams across Development functions including Biostatistics, Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Operations, and Data Management. In these roles, he was instrumental in bringing several products to market, including Mektovi (binimetinib), Braftovi (encorafenib), Jakafi (ruxolitinib), and Folotyn (pralatrexate). Prior to joining Cogent, Dr. Boyd was Vice President, Biometrics at Intellia Therapeutics, and prior to that, held various roles of increasing responsibility at Pfizer, Array BioPharma, Novartis, and Allos Therapeutics. Dr. Boyd earned his Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Colorado, where he is currently a member of the Colorado School of Public Health’s Dean’s Advisory Board.
Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
Cogent also announced today that, on April 14, 2025, the Compensation Committee of Cogent’s Board of Directors, made up entirely of independent directors, approved the grants of "inducement" equity awards to five new employees, including Mr. Frost and Dr. Boyd, under the company’s 2020 Inducement Plan with a grant date of April 21, 2025. The awards were approved in accordance with Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) of the corporate governance rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The employees received, in the aggregate, nonqualified options to purchase 446,000 shares of Cogent common stock. Each option has a 10-year term, an exercise price equal to the closing price of Cogent’s common stock on the grant date, and a 4-year vesting schedule with 25% vesting on the 1-year anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the subsequent 36 months, provided such employee remains employed through each such vesting date.