MorphoSys Entitled to Royalties on Net Sales of Janssen's Tremfya(R)
PLANEGG/MUNICH, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / November 23, 2017 / MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC PINK: MPSYY) announced today that its licensee Janssen-Cilag International NV (Janssen), has reported that the European Commission has granted approval of Tremfya(R) (guselkumab) in the European Union for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy. In July 2017, the drug received U.S. FDA approval for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.
Tremfya(R) (guselkumab) is a fully human anti-IL-23 monoclonal antibody developed by Janssen and was generated utilizing MorphoSys's proprietary HuCAL antibody library technology. MorphoSys is eligible to receive royalties on net sales of Tremfya(R).
Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys AG, said: 'We are very pleased that Janssen has now received market authorization for Tremfya(R) in Europe after U.S. approval was granted in July of this year. We expect this drug will provide an important treatment option for patients living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.'
'Guselkumab is the first antibody that has received approval in Europe based on MorphoSys's technologies. With more than 100 MorphoSys compounds currently in development, we look forward to advancing novel antibodies in a wide variety of serious diseases where we see a strong need for alternative treatment options,' added Dr. Markus Enzelberger, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys.
Beyond plaque psoriasis, Janssen is studying Tremfya(R) (guselkumab) in a Phase 3 psoriatic arthritis development program.
Further information can be found in the press release issued by Janssen on November 23, 2017.
About Psoriasis:
Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory disorder that results in the overproduction of skin cells, characterised by raised, inflamed, scaly, red lesions, or plaques, which can cause itching and physical pain. It is estimated that as many as 125 million people worldwide have psoriasis, including 14 million Europeans, and approximately 20% of people affected have cases that are considered moderate to severe.
About MorphoSys:
MorphoSys is committed to developing exceptional new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases. A leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies today, MorphoSys is driven by the ambition of creating the most valuable pipeline of biopharmaceuticals in the biotechnology industry. Based on its proprietary technology platforms, MorphoSys, together with its partners, has built a therapeutic pipeline of more than 110 programs in R&D, around a quarter of which is currently in clinical development.
In its proprietary development segment, MorphoSys, alone or with partners, is developing new therapeutic candidates, mainly focusing on cancer and inflammation. In its partnered discovery segment, MorphoSys uses its technologies to discover new drug candidates for pharmaceutical partners and participates from the programs' further development success, through success-based payments and royalties. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com.
HuCAL(R), HuCAL GOLD(R), HuCAL PLATINUM(R), CysDisplay(R), RapMAT(R), arYla(R), Ylanthia(R), 100 billion high potentials(R), Slonomics(R), Lanthio Pharma(R) and LanthioPep(R) are registered trademarks of the MorphoSys Group.
Tremfya(R) is a registered trademark of Janssen Biotech, Inc.
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.
For more information, please contact:
MorphoSys AG
Anke Linnartz
Head of Corporate Communications & IR
Jochen Orlowski
Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR
Alexandra Goller
Senior Manager Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-404
investors@morphosys.com
SOURCE: MorphoSys AG
