MorphoSys AG : Strengthens European Patent Position on anti-CD19 Cancer Program MOR208

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX, OTC: MPSYY) announced today that the European Patent Office has granted a patent covering the Company's cancer compound MOR208. The new patent (EP2383297) covers the antibody's protein and nucleic acid sequences as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same. The new patent has a scheduled expiry date in 2027, not including any potential patent office or regulatory extensions, and is licensed to MorphoSys AG from Xencor, Inc.

Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG, commented: "MOR208 will be a key focus area for our development activities in the years to come and thus patent protection in the most relevant markets is of significant importance. Today's patent complements a new US patent covering the MOR208 antibody, which we announced a few weeks ago."

MOR208 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the antigen CD19 for treatment of B cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. The antibody has been engineered to possess significantly enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), thus improving a key mechanism for tumor cell killing and offering potential for enhanced efficacy compared to traditional antibodies for the treatment of cancer.

MOR208 has shown encouraging signs of preliminary anti-tumor activity and an acceptable safety and tolerability profile in a Phase 1/2a trial in patients with high-risk, heavily pretreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). The study results showed an overall response rate of 29.6% (according to IWCLL 2008 criteria) based on the safety population of the trial (n=27). MorphoSys is conducting Phase 2 clinical trials of MOR208 in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

About MorphoSys:
MorphoSys developed HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology in the pharmaceutical industry. By successfully applying this and other patented technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human healthcare.
Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a therapeutic pipeline :
http://www.morphosys.com/pipelineof more than 80 human antibody drug candidates for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few. With its ongoing commitment to new antibody technology and drug development, MorphoSys is focused on making the healthcare products of tomorrow. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com:
http://www.morphosys.com

HuCAL®, HuCAL GOLD®, HuCAL PLATINUM®, CysDisplay®, RapMAT®, arYla® and Ylanthia® and 100 billion high potentials® are registered trademarks of MorphoSys AG.
Slonomics® is a registered trademark of Sloning BioTechnology GmbH, a subsidiary of MorphoSys AG.

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
Dr. Claudia Gutjahr-Löser
Head of Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-122

Mario Brkulj
Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-454

Alexandra Goller
Specialist Corporate Communications & IR
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-332

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