MARTINSRIED/MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC: MPSYY) announced today the receipt of a grant of up to EUR 1 million from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), comprising funding for two of its therapeutic antibody programs. The funding will support the company in developing Ylanthia antibodies against two undisclosed G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The grant will cover all necessary steps involved in the early drug development stages and will run for two years.
The superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors is the single largest and most important family of drug targets. Receptors of this class play a central role in many biological processes and are linked to a wide range of diseases. However, due to immense technical difficulties in generating selective and potent antibodies against this target class, only one GPCR-targeted antibody drug has been approved so far. With the help of its advanced proprietary technologies, first and foremost its next-generation antibody platform Ylanthia, MorphoSys is able to exploit the full potential of therapeutic antibodies against GPCRs.
"We are delighted to receive this valuable support from the German government. Our Ylanthia platform is the perfect fit for therapeutic antibody discovery, especially against technically challenging targets. By applying our antibody capabilities to the discovery of novel therapeutics against GPCRs, we are opening up a whole range of new product opportunities," commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG.
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®, 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
Mario Brkulj
Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR
Alexandra Goller
Specialist Corporate Communications & IR
Jessica Rush
Specialist Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-404
investors@morphosys.com
Media Release http://hugin.info/130295/R/1855564/649181.pdf
HUG#1855564