MorphoSys Strengthens Patent Position on anti-CD19 Cancer Program MOR208
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MorphoSys AG has announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent covering the Company's cancer compound MOR208.
The new patent (US 8,524,867) covers the antibody's protein sequence as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same.
The new patent has a scheduled expiry date in 2029, not including any potential patent office or regulatory extensions, and is licensed to MorphoSys AG from Xencor, Inc.
Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG, commented: "We are very optimistic about the prospects of MOR208 and are building a rich scientific, medical and commercial package around this program, in order to lay the groundwork for future commercialization."
MOR208 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the antigen CD19 for treatment of B cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases.
The antibody has been engineered to possess significantly enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), thus improving a key mechanism for tumor cell killing and offering potential for enhanced efficacy compared to traditional antibodies for the treatment of cancer.
MOR208 has shown in a Phase 1/2a trial encouraging signs of preliminary anti-tumor activity and an acceptable safety and tolerability profile in patients with high-risk, heavily pretreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).
The study results showed an overall response rate of 29.6% (according to IWCLL 2008 criteria) based on the safety population of the trial (n=27).
MorphoSys is conducting Phase 2 clinical trials of MOR208 in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).
