MorphoSys and the Burnham Institute Sign Broad Research Partnership

11/28/2006 MorphoSys AG (Frankfurt: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) today announced a broad alliance with the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, California (“Burnham”), covering the use of fully human recombinant research antibodies and commercialization of resulting products. Under the terms of the agreement, the Burnham will receive access to novel HuCAL GOLD-based research antibodies from AbD Serotec to identify and validate target molecules with potential medical implications. MorphoSys retains commercialization rights for all antibodies emerging from the collaboration both as research antibody tools distributed via the AbD Serotec sales catalogue as well as in therapeutic or diagnostic applications. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Burnham, a non-profit organization, operates a robust drug discovery effort comprised of experts in biology, chemistry, engineering, physics and computer sciences. This effort is supported primarily with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that includes a center of excellence for cancer drug discovery and the San Diego Center for Chemical Genomics (SDCCG) established by NIH as one of 10 collaborating centres, known collectively as the “Molecular Libraries Screening Centers Network”.

“We are excited by the prospect of working with MorphoSys to apply the HuCAL technology to a number of our ongoing research programs” commented Dr. Adrienne Day, Vice President, Business Development at Burnham Institute for Medical Research. “This state-of-the-art technology has the potential to provide our researchers with new research tools and also holds promise for the development of novel therapeutics.”

“Collaborating with one of the most renowned research organizations in the world is a significant step towards our goal of establishing the HuCAL technology in the research community”, commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys AG. “This contract offers significant new product potential for our AbD Serotec division, but also, due to the medically oriented nature of the research, a potential long-term benefit for our therapeutic business as well. Access to novel disease-related target molecules is a key asset for any biopharmaceutical company and this alliance could provide us with interesting antibody leads for therapeutic applications.”

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 (HuCAL) technology is used by researchers worldwide for human antibody generation. The Company currently has licensing agreements and/or research collaborations with Bayer (USA), Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), Bristol-Myers Squibb (USA), Centocor Inc. (USA), Daiichi Sankyo & Co., Ltd. (Japan), GPC Biotech AG (Germany), Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland), ImmunoGen Inc. (USA), Merck & Co., Inc. (USA), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Novoplant GmbH (Germany), OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (USA), Pfizer Inc. (USA), ProChon Biotech Ltd. (Israel), Schering AG (Germany), Schering-Plough (USA), Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Japan), Xoma Ltd. (USA) and others. Additionally, MorphoSys is active in the antibody research market through its AbD Serotec business unit. The business unit was founded in 2003 for the purpose of exploiting the MorphoSys non-therapeutic antibody markets. MorphoSys’ activities in the research antibody segment were significantly strengthened through the acquisition of the U.K. and U.S.-based Biogenesis Group in January 2005 and Serotec Group in 2006. For further information please visit the corporate website at: http://www.morphosys.com/.


About Burnham Institute for Medical Research:
Burnham Institute for Medical Research is an independent non-profit research institution dedicated to advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge in the life sciences and medicine, and providing the foundation for tomorrow’s innovative therapies. The Institute is home to three major centers: the National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, the Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience and Aging Research, and the Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center. Established in 1976 in La Jolla, California, the Burnham today employs over 750 people and ranks consistently among the world’s top 20 research institutes in independent surveys conducted by the Institute for Scientific Information. Burnham recently announced plans to open a campus in Orlando, Florida that will extend the Institute’s capabilities in drug discovery and genomics, as well as expand its research to cover more types of diseases. For additional information about the Burnham and to learn about ways to support its research, visit www.burnham.org.


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.

HuCAL® and HuCAL GOLD® are registered trademarks of MorphoSys AG

Contact Information

Dr. Claudia Gutjahr-Löser

Director Corporate Communications

MorphoSys AG

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