MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today that Astellas Pharma Inc. has exercised a pre-existing option to use MorphoSys's proprietary RapMAT technology for faster antibody optimization as part of the existing technology transfer agreements between the two companies. As a result, Astellas will have access to MorphoSys's RapMAT technology module alongside the existing installation of the Company's proprietary antibody library HuCAL GOLD at Astellas' research site in Tsukuba, Japan. Under the extended agreement MorphoSys will receive annual user fees for the RapMAT technology and continues to receive annual user fees for access to its HuCAL platform. Further financial details were not disclosed.
RapMAT, which stands for 'rapid maturation', improves the options for identifying antibodies from the HuCAL libraries and reduces the time for generating promising therapeutic lead molecules. The RapMAT technology is completely compatible with the HuCAL GOLD antibody library. MorphoSys believes that the use of RapMAT can greatly speed up antibody drug discovery, while widening the pool of drug candidates from which to choose.
'Today's news marks our second RapMAT-based technology deal with an existing partner. We welcome Astellas's decision to broaden its technological portfolio and use our RapMAT technology module to speed up their internal drug development process,' commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys. 'Developments such as RapMAT are a result of our strategy to maintain our technological leadership in the field of human therapeutic antibodies, and thereby further strengthen our position in the market for this important class of drugs.'