MARTINSRIED, GERMANY and MUNCHEN, GERMANY--(Marketwire - July 06, 2010) -
MorphoSys AG / MorphoSys Receives Research Grant to Advance Anti-CD38
Cancer Program MOR202 and Explore Relevant Biomarkers processed and
transmitted by Hugin AS. The issuer is solely responsible for the content
of this announcement.
Project is Part of Munich's Cluster Initiative "m4 - Personalized Medicine
and
Targeted Therapies"
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today
that it
has been awarded a grant by the German Federal Ministry of
Education and
Research, BMBF. The funding of approximately EUR 1 million supports
MorphoSys in
accelerating the development of its HuCAL-based cancer program MOR202
into
clinical development for the treatment of multiple myeloma. As part
of the
program, the Company plans to explore relevant biomarkers for the
anti-CD38
approach in collaboration with Klinikum rechts der Isar, the university
hospital
of Munich Technical University. The program is part of Munich's
biotechnology
initiative "m4 - Personalized Medicine and Targeted Therapies - A New
Dimension
in Drug Development in the Munich Region", which this year received
high-tech
cluster status in a German government funding competition.
MOR202 is a fully human, HuCAL antibody directed against CD38, a membrane-
bound
glycoprotein that is a promising therapeutic target for the
treatment of
multiple myeloma and certain leukemias. In pre-clinical studies,
MOR202
effectively killed cancer cells from primary patient tumor material and
certain
hematologic cancer cell lines. Furthermore, preclinical efficacy was
shown by
demonstrating inhibition of tumor growth in SCID-mouse xenograft tumor
models.
The program is expected to move into clinical trials in Q1 2011.
"We believe that MOR202 has a very competitive profile and distinct
advantages
over similar programs in the industry. As part of the research program
with
Klinikum rechts der Isar we plan to explore certain biomarkers for
this new
therapeutic approach, thereby further differentiating our program,"
commented
Dr. Arndt Schottelius, Chief Development Officer of MorphoSys AG. "This
grant
supports the MOR202 program, for which we are on track to file a clinical
trial
application in Europe before the end of 2010."
About MorphoSys:
MorphoSys is an independent biotechnology company that develops novel
antibodies
for therapeutic, diagnostic and research applications. The Company's HuCAL
technology is one of the most powerful methods available for generating
fully
human antibodies. By successfully applying this and other proprietary
technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic
antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human health-care.
Through its alliances with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical
companies,
MorphoSys has created a pipeline of more than 60 drug candidates. The
Company is
expanding its drug pipeline by adding new partnered programs, and by
building a
portfolio of fully-owned therapeutic antibodies. For its proprietary
portfolio,
the Company is focused on the areas of oncology and inflammation. Its most
advanced program MOR103, a first-in-class, fully human antibody against GM-
CSF,
is currently tested in a Phase Ib/IIa trial in rheumatoid arthritis
patients.
Via its business unit AbD Serotec, MorphoSys is expanding the reach of its
technologies in the diagnostics and research markets. MorphoSys is
headquartered
in Munich, Germany and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the
symbol
"MOR". For further information, visithttp://www.morphosys.com/
HuCAL®, HuCAL GOLD®, HuCAL PLATINUM®, CysDisplay®
and RapMAT® are
registered trademarks of MorphoSys.
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.
For more information, please contact:
MorphoSys AG
Dr. Claudia Gutjahr-Löser
Head of Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-122
Mario Brkulj
Senior Manager Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-454
Jessica Kulpi
Specialist Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-332
investors@morphosys.com
[HUG#1429636]
Press Release: http://hugin.info/130295/R/1429636/376667.pdf
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(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality
of the information contained therein.
All reproduction for further distribution is prohibited.
Source: MorphoSys AG via Thomson Reuters ONE
