- MOR208: first clinical data from phase 2 trial planned to be presented in 2014
- MOR103: results of phase 1b trial in multiple sclerosis to be presented at ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS 2014 meeting
- MOR202: development plan expanded, introducing pomalidomide (Pomalyst ® ) as new combination partner
- MOR106: formal pre-clinical development commenced
- Early-stage portfolio now fully Ylanthia-based, includes programs with Merck Serono as well as first anti-GPCR programs
MARTINSRIED / MUNICH, Germany, July 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX, OTC: MPSYY) today provided an update on its proprietary portfolio including the clinical programs MOR208, MOR103 and MOR202. As these programs progress through clinical development, the company continually aims to strengthen its proprietary portfolio through new program starts, co-development and in-licensing agreements and potentially through M&A transactions.
"Our proprietary portfolio is progressing well and we believe that each program has a substantial therapeutic potential. Together with our partner Celgene we have decided that the next steps in our development plan for MOR202 will incorporate combinations with pomalidomide," commented Dr. Arndt Schottelius, Chief Development Officer of MorphoSys AG. "With regards to MOR208, we intend to present first results from the ongoing NHL trial before year-end."
MOR208 - Priority on NHL data by the end of 2014
In a signal searching approach, MOR208 is currently being evaluated as monotherapy in phase 2 trials in NHL and B-ALL. Based on the encouraging monotherapy data in CLL, MOR208 is also being investigated in a phase 2 combination trial with lenalidomide (Revlimid ® ) in CLL (investigator sponsored trial at Ohio State University). MorphoSys has prioritized presenting first clinical data from the NHL trial at a major conference later this year, earlier than previously anticipated. In the trial, four different subtypes of NHL, namely follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and other indolent NHL types are investigated. Recruitment in B-ALL has recently been slower than originally anticipated, but enrollment is nevertheless planned to be completed by the end of 2014. For this reason, MorphoSys does not expect to present clinical data for B-ALL in 2014.
MOR103 - Results in multiple sclerosis to be published at ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS 2014
Following the successful completion of the phase 1b trial of MOR103 in multiple sclerosis an abstract covering the results of the phase 1b trial in multiple sclerosis has been accepted for the ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS meeting to take place in Boston in September. Responsibility for further development of MOR103 (GSK3196165) is now fully with GlaxoSmithKline.
MOR202 - Combinations with pomalidomide planned
MorphoSys and its collaboration partner Celgene Corporation have decided to expand the clinical development plan of MOR202 in multiple myeloma, introducing pomalidomide as a new combination partner. The MOR202 combination trials are now planned to be initiated earlier than originally anticipated. In addition, cohorts with a weekly dosing schedule, with and without dexamethasone, were added to the ongoing monotherapy trial of MOR202, which continues as planned. The expanded design of the trial will be published on www.clinicaltrials.gov . As the now expanded Phase 1/2a trial will not be completed until 2015, the companies do not plan to publish any clinical data this year.
MOR106 - Joint antibody program with Galapagos in preclinical development
MorphoSys collaborates with Galapagos with the aim to discover and develop antibody therapies based on novel modes of action in bone and joint disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The first joint development program has recently advanced into preclinical development stage. The program named MOR106 is an antibody made using MorphoSys's next-generation antibody library Ylanthia and will be developed in inflammatory diseases.
Early Stage Programs - First anti-GPCR programs based on Ylanthia
MorphoSys has expanded its earlier stage portfolio programs from three at the beginning of the year to five at the end of the second quarter. This includes the co-development activities with Merck Serono in the immuno-oncology field. Target discovery activities have been expanded with a focus on oncology and inflammation. Several new discovery programs have been initiated with two new Ylanthia antibodies targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
"The impact of our next-generation antibody technology Ylanthia is increasingly visible in our portfolio. Ylanthia is ideally suited for therapeutic antibody discovery in a variety of fields including immuno-oncology, cancer stem cells and many more. The opportunity created by applying our antibody capabilities in the GPCR target space, for instance, could be enormous and we have just begun to scratch the surface by adding two new GPCR-programs to our portfolio," 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.
(Pomalyst ® ) and (Revlimid ® ) are registered trademarks of Celgene Corporation.
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
Media Release (PDF) http://hugin.info/130295/R/1839270/639720.pdf
HUG#1839270
