MARTINSRIED / MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today it
received clinical milestone payments from Janssen Biotech, Inc. ("Janssen")
following the initiation of two clinical trials. One trial initiated in
asthmatic patients is studying the HuCAL antibody CNTO 3157 and a second trial
initiated in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis is studying the HuCAL
antibody CNTO 6785. Further financial details were not disclosed.
"The status of our partners' programs is of utmost importance to MorphoSys, as
it is an important leading indicator of future earnings potential," commented
Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG. "Our collaboration
with Janssen has contributed significantly to our pipeline with clinical
candidates in various inflammatory indications and we are delighted to see these
two programs advance."
In total, MorphoSys's clinical pipeline now comprises 21 clinical programs. Of
these, 17 are programs that were initiated by partners, of which seven are in
Phase 1, nine are in Phase 2 and one is in Phase 3 development. In addition,
MOR202, which is being co-developed with Celgene, is in a phase 1/2a trial for
multiple myeloma. MOR208, which has concluded a phase 1 trial for chronic
lymphocytic leukemia is currently being evaluated in two phase 2 trials in B-ALL
and NHL. MOR103, partnered with GSK, has concluded a phase 1b/2a trial in
rheumatoid arthritis, and is currently being evaluated in a phase 1b trial in
multiple sclerosis.
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.
Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a therapeutic
pipeline of more than 80 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(®)
and 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.
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
Alexandra Goller
Specialist Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-332
investors@morphosys.com
Media Release (PDF): http://hugin.info/130295/R/1729529/577844.pdf
[HUG#1729529]