MorphoSys and Boehringer Ingelheim Expand Collaboration with Cancer-Related Antibody Program
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MorphoSys AG has announced that its partner Boehringer Ingelheim has exercised an option for optimizing a therapeutic HuCAL antibody and has acquired an exclusive license for this project.
The antibody identified by Boehringer Ingelheim at its research site in Vienna is directed against a cancer disease-related target molecule.
MorphoSys will optimize the antibody in accordance with the requirements of the partner and will receive additional research payments.
The collaboration originally signed in 2003, consisted of two therapeutic antibody projects against inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. In February 2005, the companies expanded their cooperation.
Under the framework of the present five-year agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim has the option to receive several exclusive licenses on new therapeutic antibody programs.
In addition, Boehringer Ingelheim has access to the MorphoSys HuCAL GOLD antibody library for research purposes at research sites of the pharmaceutical company.
MorphoSys receives exclusive license payments, performance-related milestone payments and royalties for all therapeutic antibodies arising from the cooperation.
"Today's announcement speaks to one of the central advantages of our HuCAL technology - the ability to optimize an antibody to precise specifications," comments Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys AG.
"We look forward to a successful continuation of this alliance, which with immediate effect includes three areas of disease - the development of new therapies against cancer, inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases."
