MorphoSys Receives Research Grant to Advance Anti-CD38 Cancer Program MOR202

Strategic Insights -

MorphoSys, a leading biotechnology company, has been awarded a research grant by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to accelerate the development of its HuCAL-based cancer program MOR202 for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The funding of approximately EUR 1 million will support the Company in exploring relevant biomarkers for the anti-CD38 approach in collaboration with Klinikum rechts der Isar, the university hospital of Munich Technical University.

Key Takeaways:

  • MorphoSys has been awarded a research grant of approximately EUR 1 million to advance its anti-CD38 cancer program MOR202, which is directed against CD38, a membrane-bound glycoprotein that is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple myeloma and certain leukemias.
  • The program is part of Munich's biotechnology initiative "m4 - Personalized Medicine and Targeted Therapies - A New Dimension in Drug Development in the Munich Region", which received high-tech cluster status in a German government funding competition.
  • MOR202 is a fully human, HuCAL antibody that has shown preclinical efficacy in killing cancer cells from primary patient tumor material and certain hematologic cancer cell lines.
  • The program is expected to move into clinical trials in Q1 2011, with a clinical trial application to be filed in Europe before the end of 2010.
  • The grant supports MorphoSys's plans to explore certain biomarkers for the new therapeutic approach, thereby further differentiating its program.
  • MorphoSys is partnering with Klinikum rechts der Isar to explore relevant biomarkers for the anti-CD38 approach.

Statistics:

  • EUR 1 million: the amount of the research grant awarded to MorphoSys
  • 2011: the expected start date for clinical trials for MOR202
  • ED 2010: the expected date for filing a clinical trial application for MOR202 in Europe
  • 60: the number of drug candidates in MorphoSys's pipeline
  • 2: the number of business units, including AbD Serotec and MorphoSys
  • EUR: the currency used for the funding of the research grant

Sources:

  • MorphoSys AG, MorphoSys Receives Research Grant to Advance Anti-CD38 Cancer Program MOR202, [HUG#1429636]
  • Press Release: http://hugin.info/130295/R/1429636/376667.pdf