Corporate | 25 August 2004 07:45

Centocor Extends License to MorphoSys Therapeutic Antibody

Corporate-news announcement sent by DGAP. The sender is solely responsible for the contents of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– Centocor Extends License to MorphoSys Therapeutic Antibody MorphoSys AG (Frankfurt: MOR; Prime Standard Segment) announced today that Centocor Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, exercised an option to retain a commercial license for HuCAL(R) antibodies directed against an undisclosed Centocor target molecule involved in inflammatory diseases. In exchange, MorphoSys received a license payment from Centocor. Further financial terms were not disclosed. The cooperation between MorphoSys and Centocor, initiated in December 2000, is aimed at the development of human therapeutic antibodies in a range of indications. It includes an option for Centocor on the development of antibodies against up to 30 different target molecules using MorphoSys’ proprietary technologies. In March 2002, the existing partnership was expanded when Centocor ordered AutoCAL(TM), the MorphoSys-developed system for automated screening of the HuCAL(R) antibody library. In March 2004 both companies commenced a new antibody program in which MorphoSys would generate therapeutic antibodies against a Centocor target molecule involved in autoimmune diseases. In the collaboration with Centocor, MorphoSys has achieved four performance-related milestones to date. “This news signals further progress in our collaboration with Centocor,” commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys AG. “We are pleased to see that our HuCAL(R) technology continues to support drug development activities by our partners.” 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), Novartis AG (Basel, Switzerland), 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. For more information, please contact MorphoSys: Dr. Claudia Gutjahr-Löser, Director Corporate Communications, Tel. +49 (0)89 89927 122, gutjahr@morphosys.com / Mario Brkulj, PR Specialist, Tel. +49 (0)89 89927 454, brkulj@morphosys.com end of message, (c)DGAP 25.08.2004 ——————————————————————————– WKN: 663200; ISIN: DE0006632003; Index: Nemax 50 Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart 250745 Aug 04