MARTINSRIED, GERMANY and MUNICH, GERMANY--(Marketwire - November 07, 2012) -
Collaboration to Benefit from Access to Newest Technologies
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced
today an
expansion of its strategic alliance with Novartis. The long-term alliance
will
now benefit from new technologies that were not available when the
current
agreement between the two companies was signed in 2007. The aim is to
accelerate
the discovery of new therapeutic antibodies and to increase the
overall
productivity of the collaboration. Financial details were not disclosed.
"Today's announcement marks the commercial launch of our new technology
platform
Ylanthia", commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of
MorphoSys AG.
"We are delighted to kick off this new phase in our growth as the premier
source
of therapeutic antibodies with our biggest partner, Novartis. This
alliance is
very successful and will continue to contribute significantly to our
overall
pipeline of therapeutic antibodies. I'm confident that by adding the
newest
technologies to our collaboration, we can be even more productive. The
benefit
will be better therapeutic antibodies, made faster than was
previously
possible."
"We are pleased to expand our relationship with MorphoSys," commented
Mark
Fishman, President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. "A
number
of programs have emerged from the collaboration so far, and we're
looking
forward to adding to them in the years ahead. Novartis is committed to
bringing
innovative antibody-based therapies to market and the collaboration
with
MorphoSys is a key part of that effort."
Under the terms of the agreement announced today, the companies will
apply the
entire suite of new technologies available to MorphoSys, including
Ylanthia and
Slonomics, to make therapeutic antibodies. It is expected that the
next-
generation Ylanthia platform will follow HuCAL, which is the
technology
currently used by the partners to source therapeutic antibody
candidates.
Antibody optimization will use Slonomics-based technology for
precise
optimization of antibody properties. The companies will also cross-
license
future improvements for their mutual benefit. Novartis will continue to
fund a
dedicated research team at MorphoSys and pay annual license fees as
previously
until the end of the collaboration in 2017. The companies agreed to
waive the
existing co-development options, as MorphoSys looks to increase its focus
on its
own highly promising proprietary portfolio of therapeutic antibody
candidates.
MorphoSys and Novartis started working together in 2004. In December
2007, the
two companies substantially extended their relationship and forged one
of the
most comprehensive strategic alliances in the discovery and
development of
biopharmaceuticals. The collaboration has resulted in six clinical
programs to
date, with four currently being evaluated in phase 2.
About MorphoSys:
MorphoSys developed HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology
in
the pharmaceutical industry. By successfully applying this and other
patented
technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic
antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human healthcare.
The
company's AbD Serotec unit uses HuCAL and other antibody technologies to
generate superior monoclonal antibodies for research and diagnostic
applications.
Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a
therapeutic
pipeline of more than 70 human antibody drug candidates for the treatment
of
cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few.
With
its ongoing commitment to new antibody technology and drug development,
MorphoSys is focused on making the healthcare products of tomorrow.
MorphoSys is
listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular
updates
about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com
HuCAL®, HuCAL GOLD®, HuCAL PLATINUM®, CysDisplay®,
RapMAT®, arYla®,
Ylanthia® and 100 billion high potentials® are registered
trademarks of
MorphoSys AG
Slonomics® is a registered trademark of Sloning BioTechnology
GmbH, a
subsidiary of MorphoSys AG.
This communication contains certain forward-looking statements
concerning the
MorphoSys group of companies. The forward-looking statements contained
herein
represent the judgment of MorphoSys as of the date of this release and
involve
risks and uncertainties. Should actual conditions differ from the
Company's
assumptions, actual results and actions may differ from those
anticipated.
MorphoSys does not intend to update any of these forward-looking
statements as
far as the wording of the relevant press release is concerned.
Media Release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/130295/R/1655601/535006.pdf
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: MorphoSys AG via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1655601]
