Combinatorial Approach Using Multi-Therapy Antibody Treatment

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment) announced today the formation of a new alliance with US-based biotechnology company ContraFect Corp. in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies for infectious diseases. Under the terms of the five-year agreement, ContraFect will receive access to HuCAL PLATINUM, the latest and most powerful version of MorphoSys's antibody libraries, and AutoCAL at its facility in New York. Payments under the agreement include committed annual license fees in addition to success-based development milestones. MorphoSys also stands to receive royalties on sales of marketed drug products emerging from the collaboration.

ContraFect is a biotechnology company pioneering the use of monoclonal antibodies to treat life-threatening infectious diseases, including MRSA infections and Influenza. ContraFect's scientific approach is based on a transition from conventional mono-therapy to a combinatorial approach using multi-therapy antibody treatment to address the growing challenge of drug resistance and therapy escape mechanisms.

MorphoSys AG currently has a pipeline of more than 70 drug candidates including 17 in clinical development. MorphoSys's list of partners includes a roster of bluechip biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Merck & Company, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche. 'The HuCAL PLATINUM technology has shown great potential in yielding highly effective therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases. We will continue to exploit this attractive commercial opportunity within selected partnerships, including this new collaboration with ContraFect', commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG.

Dr. Robert Nowinski, Chief Executive Officer of ContraFect said, 'By simultaneously attacking multiple targets on pathogens, no single mutation or genetic re-assortment can result in escape from therapy; antibodies are uniquely suited to accomplish this therapeutic goal. In effect, the end result is similar in approach to the drug cocktails that are used against HIV. Using HuCAL to generate these antibodies was of key importance to us since this technology enables the selection of thousands of unique antibody molecules from a single library.'

ContraFect was founded in 2008 by Dr. Nowinski. Prior to founding ContraFect, Dr. Nowinski founded six biotechnology companies including Genetic Systems (now part of Bristol-Myers), Icos (now part of Eli Lilly) and PathoGenesis (now part of Novartis).