Ad-hoc | 28 May 1999 08:20

Ad hoc-Service: MorphoSys AG bfs e

Ad-hoc Mitteilung übermittelt durch die DGAP. Für den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist allein der Emittent verantwortlich. —————————————————————————— Press Release Munich, Germany, 28 May, 1999 MorphoSys Awarded A DM 3.365 Million Grant From The Bavarian Research Foundation MorphoSys AG (Neuer Markt: MOR), the Munich-based combinatorial biology company, today announced that it is to receive a DM 3.365 million ($1.847 million) grant from the Bavarian Research Foundation (BFS) to fund a three-year research project entitled: “Automated production of highly- stable recombinant antibodies with high affinity from large synthetic antibody libraries.” The BFS primarily supports projects with promising scientific and commercial potential. MorphoSys intends to consolidate its world-wide leading position in the area of recombinant antibodies, and build on the success of HuCAL (Human Combinatorial Antibody Library), by constructing a second generation HuCAL antibody library with potentially broader application. Partners in this project will be Prof. Andreas Plueckthun (University of Zurich) and Dr. Karl Kramer (Technical University, Munich- Weihenstephan). The construction of this library will permit the cost- effective and rapid generation of antibodies from synthetic genes utilising high-throughput screening methods in bacteria. These extensive gene libraries will be capable of producing high-affinity, robust antibody fragments against any given antigen and may be utilised in biomedical research, therapy and diagnosis. This project also aims to examine the use of antibodies in environmental analysis. Dr. Thomas von Rueden, Chief Scientific Officer at MorphoSys AG, commented, “This project has been peer-reviewed from a scientific as well as an economic perspective. The support offered by the BFS underlines the significance of MorphoSys’ technologies with regard to the growing use of antibodies in the development of drugs. We believe that antibody libraries will supersede the current method of antibody production in animals and it is our goal to explore their considerable market potential.” MorphoSys develops and applies innovative technologies for the production of synthetic antibodies which accelerate drug discovery and target characterisation. Founded in 1992 the Company’s proprietary Human Combinatorial Antibody Library (HuCAL) technology is used by researchers world-wide for cutting-edge human antibody generation. The Company has partnered with pharmaceutical companies such as Pharmacia & Upjohn and Boehringer Mannheim, and currently has licensing and research collaborations with DuPont Pharmaceuticals (Wilmington, Delaware) LeukoSite (Cambridge, Mass), and Chiron Corporation (Emeryville, California). This year the Company signed a further co-operation with GPC (Genome Pharmaceuticals AG (Martinsried/ Munich). In March 1999, MorphoSys AG became the first biopharmaceutical company to list on Germany’s Neuer Markt. For more information, please contact: Julia Phillips/Claire Plaskett Investor/Media Relations Noonan/Russo Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 171 726 4452 Fax: +44 (0) 171 726 4453 Dave Lemus Chief Financial Officer MorphoSys AG Tel: +49 (0) 89 899 27 0 Fax: +49 (0) 89 899 27 222 Ende der Mitteilung