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news.MorphoSys and Merck have signed co-development and license agreement to discover and develop therapeutic antibodies against undisclosed immune checkpoints.
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As part of the deal, MorphoSys and Merck’s biopharmaceutical division Merck Serono, will join forces to develop therapies that modulate the immune system’s natural ability to combat tumors.
The deal will see MorphoSys apply its Ylanthia antibody phage library and technology platform to discover antibodies against the targets of interest.
Merck Serono, which has strong portfolio and capabilities in the field of immuno-oncology and clinical development, will be responsible for execution of development from Phase I onwards.
Merck Serono senior VP of Immuno-Oncology Helen Sabzevari said the establishment of partnerships with companies with innovative technology platforms is an integral part of the company’s strategy to further expand upon its already diverse immuno-oncology portfolio.
"Combining Merck Serono’s extensive expertise in immuno-oncology with MorphoSys’s next-generation antibody technology provides us with an exciting opportunity to rapidly generate novel therapies with a clear potential to benefit cancer patients," Sabzevari said.
MorphoSys chief executive officer Simon Moroney said therapeutic agents in the immuno-oncology field are set to transform cancer therapy, and the company is happy to work with Merck Serono in this area.
"We believe that our Ylanthia technology has the potential to provide truly differentiated antibodies against the targets that will be the subject of the collaboration," Moroney said.
"Merck Serono’s expertise in immuno-oncology, together with their strength in developing and commercializing therapeutic antibodies make them an ideal partner for MorphoSys."
With this partnership, Merck Serono is committed to strengthen its existing portfolio of cancer immunotherapies that work as monotherapies or in combination with other therapeutic modalities.
Merck Serono’s immuno-oncology pipeline assets currently investigated in clinical trials span from Phase I to Phase III for the treatment of different cancer types, including tecemotide, a MUC1 antigen-specific cancer immunotherapy, the two immunocytokines NHS-IL2 (MSB0010445) and NHS-IL12 (MSB0010360), and the monoclonal antibody anti-PD-L1 (MSB0010718C).
Under the deal, MorphoSys will co-fund research and development costs with the option to opt-out at predefined stages, while Merck Serono will have sole responsibility for commercializing of any resulting products.
MorphoSys will also be eligible to receive development and commercial milestone payments, and in addition, tiered royalties on product sales that will reflect the extent of MorphoSys co-funding.