Date: 2015-07-30
Type of information: Milestone
Compound: novel antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)
Company: MorphoSys (Germany) Heptares Therapeutics (UK), a subsidiary of Sosei Group (Japan)
Therapeutic area:
Type agreement: R&D
development
Action mechanism: monoclonal antibody
Disease:
Details: * On February 13, 2013, MorphoSys and Heptares Therapeutics, a GPCR drug discovery and development company, have signed an agreement to discover novel antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are membrane proteins involved in a broad range of biological processes and diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Heptares will generate stabilized receptors (StaRs) for a set of GPCR disease targets proposed by MorphoSys. MorphoSys will then apply its Ylanthia antibody library to discover and develop antibody therapeutics against these StaRs. Heptares' StaRs enable antibody discovery by stabilizing the GPCR protein outside the cellular membrane in the correct conformation. StaRs preserve biologically relevant epitopes thereby enabling generation of a diverse panel of functional antibodies. This has previously proved very difficult for GPCRs, which lose their conformational and functional integrity when removed from their natural environment in cell membranes.
MorphoSys's Ylanthia antibody library comprises more than 100 billion distinct, fully human antibodies, which makes it the industry's largest known antibody Fab library. Ylanthia\'s genetic composition translates into unprecedented structural diversity of the antibodies and offers optimized developability features. The library\'s diversity is expected to result in antibodies against previously inaccessible target molecules and to provide unique epitope coverage.
GPCRs are the site of action of 25-30% of currently approved drugs. Six of the top ten and 60 of the top 200 best-selling drugs in the US in 2010 target GPCRs. Seven of 37 drugs approved in 2012 by the FDA target GPCRs. By the end of 2012, 37 therapeutic antibodies had been approved and are being marketed in countries around the world. However, to date only one GPCR-targeting antibody has been approved.
Financial terms: MorphoSys has the right to sublicense to third parties access to these targets in conjunction with therapeutic antibody candidates. Heptares will receive upfront and research funding payments, plus a share of future sublicensing revenues generated by MorphoSys. Heptares also chose Ylanthia to develop and commercialize one therapeutic antibody created by MorphoSys against a GPCR target selected by Heptares. In this case, MorphoSys is eligible to receive license fees, milestones and royalties on any Ylanthia antibody developed by Heptares.
Latest news: * On July 30, 2015, MorphoSys announced that Heptares Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation, has exercised an option to initiate a therapeutic antibody program arising from the alliance the companies entered into in February 2013. The program will leverage MorphoSys's Ylanthia® antibody library to generate novel antibody leads and addresses a GPCR target selected by Heptares, for which Heptares has engineered a StaR® antigen. The development and commercialization of this program by Heptares is covered by the existing collaboration agreement between the two companies. MorphoSys will receive a licensing fee and R&D funding from Heptares and is eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties on the sales of any therapeutic antibodies resulting from the program. Further financial details were not disclosed.
