MorphoSys Granted Further Patent on its Core Antibody Technology in Japan

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today that the Japanese Patent Office has granted a new patent providing extended protection for the Company’s core technology HuCAL. The new patent (JP 4436457) covers the production and design of an antibody library based on phage display. Currently, the Company is prosecuting more than 35 different proprietary patent families worldwide, in addition to about the same number of patent families the Company is pursuing in cooperation with its partners.

“Important progress was made with our patent portfolio during 2009 and in the first quarter of 2010, including the issuance of the first Japanese patents covering our core proprietary technologies HuCAL and CysDisplay,” commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG. “Our growing patent estate in Asia complements our strong intellectual property portfolio around HuCAL in other key pharmaceutical markets.”

MorphoSys’s HuCAL libraries are collections of highly diverse, fully human synthetic antibodies, whose modular CDR designs facilitate systematic engineering of antibody properties. The Company’s most advanced version of the technology, HuCAL PLATINUM, provides rapid access to fully human antibodies for use as research tools, diagnostics and therapeutics.





About MorphoSys:

MorphoSys is an independent biotechnology company that develops novel antibodies for therapeutic, diagnostic and research applications. The Company’s HuCAL technology is one of the most powerful methods available for generating fully human antibodies. By successfully applying this and other proprietary technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human health-care. Through its alliances with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, MorphoSys has created a pipeline of more than 60 drug candidates. The Company is expanding its drug pipeline by adding new partnered programs, and by building a portfolio of fully-owned therapeutic antibodies. For its proprietary portfolio, the Company is focused on the areas of oncology and inflammation. Its most advanced program MOR103, a first-in-class, fully human antibody against GM-CSF, is currently tested in a Phase Ib/IIa trial in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Via its business unit AbD Serotec, MorphoSys is expanding the reach of its technologies in the diagnostics and research markets. MorphoSys is headquartered in Munich, Germany and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “MOR”. For further information, visit http://www.morphosys.com/





HuCAL®, HuCAL GOLD®, HuCAL PLATINUM®, CysDisplay® and RapMAT® are registered trademarks of MorphoSys AG.




This communication contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the MorphoSys group of companies. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of MorphoSys as of the date of this release and involve risks and uncertainties. Should actual conditions differ from the Company’s assumptions, actual results and actions may differ from those anticipated. MorphoSys does not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements as far as the wording of the relevant press release is concerned.