MARTINSRIED / MUNICH, Germany, April 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX, OTC: MPSYY) announced today that its collaborator Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen) has initiated a phase 2 clinical trial in psoriatic arthritis with the HuCAL antibody guselkumab (CNTO1959). The event triggered a clinical milestone payment to MorphoSys. Further financial details were not disclosed.
"We are delighted to see Janssen moving guselkumab into a new clinical program for psoriatic arthritis," commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG. "Today's news marks the first of up to six clinical milestone events we expect to see with partners this year."
MorphoSys's collaboration with Janssen has resulted in three clinical programs to date, two of which are in phase 2 development and one, guselkumab, in phase 3 in psoriasis (most advanced trial). In total, MorphoSys's partnered and proprietary clinical pipeline currently comprises 23 unique antibody molecules which are being evaluated in more than 60 clinical trials.
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 90 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
Mario Brkulj
Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR
Alexandra Goller
Manager Corporate Communications & IR
Jessica Rush
Manager Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-404
investors@morphosys.com
Media Release (PDF) http://hugin.info/130295/R/1910171/681151.pdf
HUG#1910171