MorphoSys AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: MOR; Prime Standard Segment) announced today that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has granted two new patents, which further strengthen the Company's IP portfolio. These patents provide an extended protection of the MorphoSys HuCAL(R) (Human Combinatorial Antibody Library) technology and enlarge the potential area of application for MorphoSys' technologies.
The first new patent (US 6,696,248) entitled 'Protein/(Poly)Peptide Libraries' relates to MorphoSys' proprietary HuCAL(R) technology. The patent covers the genetic constitution of synthetic, fully modular human antibody libraries based on in silico consensus sequences. A first HuCAL(R) patent, which is now complemented by the new patent, was issued by the U.S. Patent Office in 2001. Besides those issued in the United States HuCAL(R) patents have been granted in Australia and at the European Patent Office. Furthermore MorphoSys has already received several notifications of allowance for further patent applications in the U.S.
In addition, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office granted a patent (US 6,692,935 B1) entitled 'Targeted Hetero-Association of Recombinant Proteins to Multi- Functional Complexes'. The patent covers certain methods for the development of multi-functional protein complexes, such as the combination of antibody fragments with different specificities.
'Over the last few years we have built a strong intellectual property portfolio around our proprietary technology HuCAL(R), which is the basis of our commercial offering', commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer at MorphoSys AG.
About MorphoSys:
MorphoSys develops and applies innovative technologies for the production of synthetic antibodies, which accelerate drug discovery and target characterization. Founded in 1992, the Company's proprietary Human Combinatorial Antibody Library (HuCALâ) technology is used by researchers worldwide for human antibody generation. The Company currently has licensing and research collaborations with Bayer (Berkeley, California/USA), Biogen Idec Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA), Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Wilmington, Delaware/USA), Centocor Inc. (Malvern, Pennsylvania/USA), GPC Biotech AG (Munich/Germany), Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Basel/Switzerland), ImmunoGen Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA), Oridis Biomed GmbH (Graz/Austria), Pfizer Inc. (Delaware/USA), ProChon Biotech Ltd. (Rehovot/Israel), Schering AG (Berlin/Germany) and Xoma Ltd. (Berkeley, California/USA). For further information please visit the corporate website at: http://www.morphosys.com/ .
Statements included in this press release which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, 'forward-looking statements' for purposes of the safe harbour provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including 'anticipates', 'believes', 'intends', 'estimates', 'expects' and similar expressions. The company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may affect future operations and business prospects include, but are not limited to, clinical and scientific results and developments concerning corporate collaborations and the company's proprietary rights and other factors described in the prospectus relating to the company's recent public offering.
The first new patent (US 6,696,248) entitled 'Protein/(Poly)Peptide Libraries' relates to MorphoSys' proprietary HuCAL(R) technology. The patent covers the genetic constitution of synthetic, fully modular human antibody libraries based on in silico consensus sequences. A first HuCAL(R) patent, which is now complemented by the new patent, was issued by the U.S. Patent Office in 2001. Besides those issued in the United States HuCAL(R) patents have been granted in Australia and at the European Patent Office. Furthermore MorphoSys has already received several notifications of allowance for further patent applications in the U.S.
In addition, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office granted a patent (US 6,692,935 B1) entitled 'Targeted Hetero-Association of Recombinant Proteins to Multi- Functional Complexes'. The patent covers certain methods for the development of multi-functional protein complexes, such as the combination of antibody fragments with different specificities.
'Over the last few years we have built a strong intellectual property portfolio around our proprietary technology HuCAL(R), which is the basis of our commercial offering', commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer at MorphoSys AG.
About MorphoSys:
MorphoSys develops and applies innovative technologies for the production of synthetic antibodies, which accelerate drug discovery and target characterization. Founded in 1992, the Company's proprietary Human Combinatorial Antibody Library (HuCALâ) technology is used by researchers worldwide for human antibody generation. The Company currently has licensing and research collaborations with Bayer (Berkeley, California/USA), Biogen Idec Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA), Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Wilmington, Delaware/USA), Centocor Inc. (Malvern, Pennsylvania/USA), GPC Biotech AG (Munich/Germany), Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Basel/Switzerland), ImmunoGen Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA), Oridis Biomed GmbH (Graz/Austria), Pfizer Inc. (Delaware/USA), ProChon Biotech Ltd. (Rehovot/Israel), Schering AG (Berlin/Germany) and Xoma Ltd. (Berkeley, California/USA). For further information please visit the corporate website at: http://www.morphosys.com/ .
Statements included in this press release which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, 'forward-looking statements' for purposes of the safe harbour provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including 'anticipates', 'believes', 'intends', 'estimates', 'expects' and similar expressions. The company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may affect future operations and business prospects include, but are not limited to, clinical and scientific results and developments concerning corporate collaborations and the company's proprietary rights and other factors described in the prospectus relating to the company's recent public offering.