MorphoSys AG
Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters. The issuer is solely
responsible for the content of this announcement.
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) and Boehringer
Ingelheim announced today the signing of a biopharmaceutical
manufacturing agreement for therapeutic antibodies. The agreement
covers the process development and manufacturing of additional
clinical material for MorphoSys's proprietary MOR208 program and other
drug candidates. MOR208, a potent monoclonal anti-CD19 antibody, is in
development for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and
potentially other B-cell malignancies. The program is currently being
evaluated in a phase 1 clinical trial in the USA by MorphoSys's
partner Xencor Inc.
"Adding an additional supplier to our proprietary development set-up
will help to prevent any bottlenecks in clinical trial supply in the
years ahead", commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer
of MorphoSys AG. "Additionally, establishing a commercial
manufacturing process with Boehringer Ingelheim early in the
development of MOR208 will clearly increase the value of this
program."
Simon Sturge, Corporate Senior Vice President of the
Biopharmaceuticals Division at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "We believe
that the combination of MorphoSys's successful track record in the
discovery and clinical development of antibody- based therapeutics and
our proven competence in technical development and manufacturing will
be an optimal fit. We look forward to supporting the team at MorphoSys
with robust manufacturing processes for clinic and market supply."
"Boehringer Ingelheim is a world-class contract manufacturing
organization and we are delighted to sign this agreement with them
today", commented Dr. Arndt Schottelius, Chief Development Officer of
MorphoSys AG. "Our proprietary pipeline currently comprises eight
fully-owned therapeutic antibodies in addition to two co-development
candidates selected within the Novartis alliance. With MOR103, a
HuCAL-based anti-inflammatory antibody targeting GM- CSF, and MOR202,
a HuCAL-based cancer antibody targeting CD38, as well as MOR208, we
will investigate three proprietary drug programs in clinical trials in
2011."
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/
(http://www.morphosys.com/)
HuCAL@, HuCAL GOLD@, HuCAL PLATINUM@, CysDisplay@ and RapMAT@ are
registered trademarks of MorphoSys; arYla is a trademark of
MorphoSys.
About Boehringer Ingelheim:
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it
operates globally with 142 affiliates in 50 countries and more than
41,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned
company has been committed for 125 years to researching, developing,
manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value
for human and veterinary medicine.
Today, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's leading companies
for contract development and manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. All
types of services from mammalian cell line or microbial strain
development to final drug production can be delivered within a
one-stop-shop concept. Boehringer Ingelheim delivers services for
pre-clinical development up to global market supply with a strong
commitment to its customers at its manufacturing facilities for
mammalian cell culture and microbial fermentation. Boehringer
Ingelheim has brought 18 molecules to market and has many years of
experience in multiple molecule classes such as monoclonal antibodies,
recombinant proteins, interferons, enzymes, fusion molecules and
plasmid DNA. Furthermore, high-titer platform technologies for new
antibody mimetic formats such as scaffold proteins and antibody
fragments are available for the manufacture of customer products.
Contact us: bio-cmo@boehringer-ingelheim.com
(mailto:bio-cmo@boehringer-ingelheim.com)
www.biopharma-cmo.com (http://www.biopharma-cmo.com)
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.
Press Release: http://hugin.info/130295/R/1497028/432769.pdf
(http://hugin.info/130295/R/1497028/432769.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‥1497028