MorphoSys AG Strengthens Patent Position on anti-CD38 Cancer Program MOR202

MARTINSRIE, GERMANY and MUNICH, GERMANY--(Marketwire - December 06, 2012) - MorphoSys AG / MorphoSys Strengthens Patent Position on anti-CD38 Cancer Program MOR202 . Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters ONE. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent covering the Company's cancer compound MOR202. The new patent (US 8,263,746) covers functional properties of anti-CD38 antibodies and provides additional patent protection for MorphoSys's HuCAL antibody MOR202. The newly issued patent adds to the US patent granted earlier this year covering the antibody's protein sequence as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same. Together, the two patent families provide strong intellectual property protection for the MOR202 program. The new patent has a scheduled expiry date in 2025, not including any potential patent office or regulatory extensions.

Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG, commented: "Antibodies targeting CD38 are gathering increased interest from the pharmaceutical industry as a new potential treatment option in multiple myeloma and other forms of leukemia. As with our other proprietary programs, our goal is to build a rich scientific, medical and commercial package around MOR202 in order to lay the groundwork for future partnering. This new patent widens the scope of our patent position around the MOR202 program by covering the functional aspects of anti-CD38 antibodies in addition to protecting the individual antibody sequence."

MOR202 is a fully human HuCAL antibody directed against CD38, a therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple myeloma and certain forms of leukemia. The fully human HuCAL-antibody is currently being tested in a phase 1/2a trial* in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

*Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of Munich's leading edge cluster m4 - Personalized medicine and targeted therapies

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/1662823/539093.pdf

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Source: MorphoSys AG via Thomson Reuters ONE

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