MorphoSys Strengthens Patent Position on anti-CD38 Cancer Program MOR202

MorphoSys AG has announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent covering the Company's cancer compound MOR202.

The new patent (US 8,263,746) covers functional properties of anti-CD38 antibodies and provides additional patent protection for MorphoSys's HuCAL antibody MOR202.

The newly issued patent adds to the US patent granted earlier this year covering the antibody's protein sequence as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same.

Together, the two patent families provide strong intellectual property protection for the MOR202 program.

The new patent has a scheduled expiry date in 2025, not including any potential patent office or regulatory extensions.

Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG, commented: "Antibodies targeting CD38 are gathering increased interest from the pharmaceutical industry as a new potential treatment option in multiple myeloma and other forms of leukemia. As with our other proprietary programs, our goal is to build a rich scientific, medical and commercial package around MOR202 in order to lay the groundwork for future partnering. This new patent widens the scope of our patent position around the MOR202 program by covering the functional aspects of anti-CD38 antibodies in addition to protecting the individual antibody sequence."

MOR202 is a fully human HuCAL antibody directed against CD38, a therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple myeloma and certain forms of leukemia.

The fully human HuCAL-antibody is currently being tested in a phase 1/2a trial in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.