MorphoSys AG Announces Clinical Milestone in Cancer Antibody Program with Bayer HealthCare

MARTINSRIED, GERMANY and MUNICH, GERMANY--(Marketwire - September 14, 2011) -

MorphoSys AG / MorphoSys Announces Clinical Milestone in Cancer Antibody Program with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals . 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 Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals has reached the next milestone by initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial with the HuCAL-derived antibody-drug conjugate BAY 94-9343 in the therapeutic area of oncology. This achievement marks the second clinical milestone within MorphoSys’s alliance with Bayer HealthCare.

“Today’s news underlines once again the substantial clinical output our partners have generated based on our HuCAL platform. Based on the number of clinical candidates in development we believe HuCAL to be the most successful antibody library technology in the pharmaceutical industry,” commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG.

The current program BAY 94-9343 is directed against the target molecule mesothelin. Mesothelin is highly expressed on mesotheliomas and on ovarian and pancreatic tumors. BAY 94-9343 is the second fully human HuCAL-based antibody- drug conjugate (ADC) to enter clinical trials. ADCs comprise antibodies linked to cytotoxic drugs, and combine the targeting properties of an antibody with the cell-destroying effect of a conjugated drug. In preclinical testing, BAY 94-9343 demonstrated potent, targeted anticancer activity against mesothelin- expressing tumors.

MorphoSys projected that in 2011 between one and three partnered programs could enter clinical trials. Today’s news represents the second HuCAL-derived antibody to enter clinical development this year. In total, MorphoSys’s clinical pipeline now comprises twelve partnered programs in Phase 1 and five in Phase 2 development as well as the Company’s proprietary programs MOR103, which is in a Phase 1b/2a trial for rheumatoid arthritis, MOR208, which is in a Phase 1/2a trial for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and MOR202, which is in a Phase 1/2a trial for multiple myeloma.

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 being 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, visit http://www.morphosys.com

HuCAL®, HuCAL GOLD®, HuCAL PLATINUM®, CysDisplay® and RapMAT® are registered trademarks of MorphoSys; arYla™ is a trademark 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.

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MorphoSys AG Lena-Christ-Str. 48 Martinsried / München Germany

WKN: 663200;ISIN: DE0006632003;Index:TecDAX,CDAX,Prime All Share,TECH All Share,HDAX,MIDCAP; Listed: Freiverkehr in Börse Stuttgart, Freiverkehr in Hanseatische Wertpapierbörse zu Hamburg, Freiverkehr in Börse Berlin, Freiverkehr in Börse Düsseldorf, Freiverkehr in Bayerische Börse München, Freiverkehr in Niedersächsische Börse zu Hannover, Prime Standard in Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse, Regulierter Markt in Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse;

Press Release (PDF): http://hugin.info/130295/R/1546288/474398.pdf

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Source: MorphoSys AG via Thomson Reuters ONE

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