MorphoSys Receives First Patent on Novel Antibody Platform Ylanthia in the US

2013-02-08 07:32:16 -
MorphoSys AG /
MorphoSys Receives First Patent on Novel Antibody Platform Ylanthia in the US
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MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) today announced that the
US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the first patent covering the
Company's latest antibody platform Ylanthia, which became commercially available
for existing and new partners in 2012.

"A  growing  patent  portfolio  on  our  new  antibody  platform  Ylanthia is an
important  factor  for  a  successful  partnering  process in our core licensing
markets,  which we intend to intensify during the course of 2013", commented Dr.
Marlies Sproll, Chief 
  
    
      
        

	    
  
  Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG.

The  new patent  (US 8,367,586) covers  the composition  of MorphoSys's Ylanthia
antibody library. Ylanthia comprises more than 100 billion distinct, fully human
antibodies, which makes it the industry's largest known antibody Fab library. It
uses 36 fixed, naturally-occurring heavy and light chain framework combinations,
which   translates   into  unprecedented  structural  diversity.  The  library's
diversity  is expected to  result in antibodies  against previously inaccessible
target molecules and unique epitope coverage.

Ylanthia's   antibody   frameworks  were  pre-selected  for  expression  levels,
stability  and aggregation behavior. A shift towards higher stability and stress
tolerance  will increase  shelf life  and serum  stability of resulting antibody
products,  making them more  cost-effective to produce  and administer. A higher
solubility in turn opens up the path for more convenient ways of administration,
to  the benefit of  patients. When needed,  antibodies from the Ylanthia library
are  optimized  using  MorphoSys's  proprietary  Slonomics technology. Slonomics
enables  optimization  of  Ylanthia  antibodies  with  unprecedented  speed  and
flexibility.



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 70 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  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.


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
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-122

Mario Brkulj
Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-454

Alexandra Goller
Specialist Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-332

investors@morphosys.com

Media Release (PDF): 
 hugin.info/130295/R/1676426/546392.pdf



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Source: MorphoSys AG via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1676426]