Date: 2015-07-23
Type of information: Milestone
Compound: therapeutic antibodies
Company: Morphosys (Germany) Novartis (Switzerland)
Therapeutic area: Inflammatory diseases
Type agreement: R&D
Action mechanism:
Disease:
Details: * On November 7, 2012, MorphoSys has announced an expansion of its strategic alliance with Novartis. The long-term alliance will now benefit from new technologies that were not available when the current agreement between the two companies was signed in 2007. The aim is to accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic antibodies and to increase the overall productivity of the collaboration.
Under the terms of this agreement, the companies will apply the entire suite of new technologies available to MorphoSys, including Ylanthia and Slonomics, to make therapeutic antibodies. It is expected that the next-generation Ylanthia platform will follow HuCAL, which is the technology currently used by the partners to source therapeutic antibody candidates. Antibody optimization will use Slonomics-based technology for precise optimization of antibody properties. The companies will also cross-license future improvements for their mutual benefit. Novartis will continue to fund a dedicated research team at MorphoSys and pay annual license fees as previously until the end of the collaboration in 2017. The companies agreed to waive the existing co-development options, as MorphoSys looks to increase its focus on its own highly promising proprietary portfolio of therapeutic antibody candidates.
MorphoSys and Novartis started working together in 2004. In December 2007, the two companies substantially extended their relationship and forged one of the most comprehensive strategic alliances in the discovery and development of biopharmaceuticals. The collaboration has resulted in six clinical programs to date, with four currently being evaluated in phase 2.
Financial terms: Financial details were not disclosed.
Latest news: * On July 23, 2015, MorphoSys announced that it has received a milestone payment from Novartis in connection with the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of a HuCAL antibody in the field of blood disorders. This becomes the eleventh therapeutic antibody made using MorphoSys's technologies that Novartis is evaluating in clinical trials. The associated milestone payment was booked in Q2 2015.
* On December 22, 2014, MorphoSys announced that it has received a milestone payment from Novartis in connection with the initiation of a phase 1 clinical trial of a HuCAL antibody in the field of oncology. This becomes the tenth therapeutic antibody made using MorphoSys's technologies that Novartis is evaluating in clinical trials. The associated milestone payment is booked in 2014.
* On February 17, 2014, MorphoSys has announced that it has received a milestone payment from Novartis in connection with the clinical trial application (CTA/IND) and projected initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial. The HuCAL-derived, fully human antibody will be developed in the therapeutic area of inflammatory diseases. * On May 2, 2013, MorphoSys has announced that it has received a milestone payment from Novartis in connection with the clinical trial application (CTA/IND) and projected initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial. The HuCAL-derived, fully human antibody will be developed in the therapeutic area of ophthalmology.
