Compugen Announces Key Leadership Transition: CEO Cohen-Dayag to Become Executive Chair as CSO Ophir Takes Helm
Key Insights
Compugen (search) Ltd. has announced significant leadership changes effective September 2025, with current CEO Anat Cohen-Dayag transitioning to Executive Chair and CSO Eran Ophir being appointed as the new President and CEO.
Under Cohen-Dayag's 15-year leadership, Compugen (search) transformed into a clinical-stage cancer (search) immunotherapy company with a pipeline built on its proprietary AI/ML-driven Unigen (search)™ computational discovery platform.
The company maintains a strong position with multiple clinical-stage assets, including partnerships with AstraZeneca and Gilead, and reports a cash runway extending into 2027.
Compugen (search) Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN) (TASE: CGEN), a clinical-stage cancer (search) immunotherapy company specializing in computational target discovery, announced today a significant leadership reorganization set to take effect in September 2025 following the company's Annual General Meeting.
Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, who has served as President and CEO since 2010, will transition to the newly created position of Executive Chair of the Board of Directors. Dr. Eran Ophir, currently Chief Scientific Officer, will succeed her as President and CEO and join the Board of Directors. Both appointments remain subject to shareholder approval. Current Board Chair Paul Sekhri will step down after eight years in the position.
Strategic Leadership Evolution
During her 15-year tenure as CEO, Dr. Cohen-Dayag led Compugen (search)'s transformation into an innovative therapeutic discovery and development company. Under her leadership, the company built a differentiated immuno-oncology pipeline leveraging Unigen (search)™, its proprietary AI/ML-driven computational discovery platform.
"I am proud of all we have accomplished: advancing an innovative clinical immunotherapy pipeline, establishing strategic collaborations, and building a robust foundation with a talented management team and a cash runway into 2027," said Dr. Cohen-Dayag. "This is the right moment to pass the leadership to Eran, who has been my trusted partner and Compugen (search)'s scientific leader for the past five years."
In her new role as Executive Chair, Dr. Cohen-Dayag will focus on corporate strategy, strategic collaborations, and investor relations, maintaining continuity in the company's strategic direction.
Dr. Ophir brings nearly a decade of experience at Compugen (search) to his new role, having served in various managerial and executive positions. As Chief Scientific Officer, he has led research and discovery efforts and played a central role in building the company's innovative immuno-oncology pipeline and corporate strategy.
"I am both excited and honored to accept the responsibility of leading Compugen (search)," said Dr. Ophir. "I am grateful to the Board for their trust and to Anat who has been, and will continue to be, a valued mentor. I am proud of what we have accomplished, building an innovative clinical pipeline, securing impactful partnerships and working on bringing meaningful benefit to patients."
Clinical Pipeline and Strategic Partnerships
Compugen (search)'s current clinical-stage assets include two wholly owned candidates: COM701, a potential first-in-class anti-PVRIG (search) antibody, and COM902, a potential best-in-class antibody targeting TIGIT (search) for the treatment of solid tumors (search). Both are currently in Phase 1 development.
The company has also established significant partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies. Rilvegostomig, a PD-1 (search)/TIGIT (search) bispecific antibody where the TIGIT component is derived from Compugen (search)'s COM902, is in Phase 3 development by AstraZeneca. Additionally, GS-0321 (previously COM503), a potential first-in-class, high-affinity anti-IL-18 (search) binding protein antibody in Phase 1 development, is licensed to Gilead.
Paul Sekhri, the outgoing Chair of the Board, expressed confidence in the transition: "As I step down as Chair of the Board after 8 years in the position, I do so with full confidence that Compugen (search) is in exceptional hands. The leadership of Anat as Executive Chair and Eran as President and CEO ensures a strong foundation for the Company's next phase of growth."
Computational Platform Driving Innovation
Compugen (search)'s core strength lies in its Unigen (search)™ platform, a predictive computational discovery system that identifies new drug targets and biological pathways for developing cancer (search) immunotherapies. This AI/ML-driven approach has enabled the company to discover novel drug targets and advance proprietary drug candidates into clinical development, both independently and through strategic partnerships.
"Compugen (search)'s core strength lies in our ability to discover novel drug targets and advance proprietary novel drug candidates into clinical development, independently or through strategic partnerships," Dr. Cohen-Dayag noted. "Eran's scientific expertise, strategic and operational leadership, and deep understanding of our pipeline make him uniquely positioned to lead the Company forward."
The company's therapeutic pipeline also includes early-stage immuno-oncology research programs aimed at addressing various mechanisms to enhance anti-cancer (search) immunity.
Compugen (search) is headquartered in Israel, with offices in San Francisco, California. The company's shares are listed on Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CGEN.
The leadership transition comes at a time when Compugen (search) reports a solid financial position with a cash runway extending into 2027, providing stability for the company's ongoing clinical programs and research initiatives.