MorphoSys’ Partner Incyte Announced Development and Commercialization Agreement with InnoCare for Tafasitamab in Greater China
PLANEGG and MUNICH, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2021 / MorphoSys AG (FSE:MOR; NASDAQ:MOR) announced today that Incyte, its development and commercialization partner for tafasitamab, entered into a collaboration and license agreement with a subsidiary of InnoCare for tafasitamab in Greater China. Under the terms of the agreement, InnoCare will receive the rights to develop and exclusively commercialize tafasitamab, a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19 targeting monoclonal antibody, in hematology-oncology in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
In January 2020, MorphoSys and Incyte entered into a collaboration and license agreement to develop and commercialize MorphoSys’ proprietary anti-CD19 antibody tafasitamab globally. MorphoSys and Incyte co-commercialize tafasitamab in the U.S., and Incyte holds the development and commercialization rights for tafasitamab outside the U.S. MorphoSys will receive tiered royalties on ex-U.S. net sales.
About Tafasitamab
Tafasitamab is a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19 targeting monoclonal antibody. In 2010, MorphoSys licensed exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize tafasitamab from Xencor, Inc. Tafasitamab incorporates an XmAb (R) engineered Fc domain, which mediates B-cell lysis through apoptosis and immune effector mechanism including antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP).
Monjuvi (R)(tafasitamab-cxix) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).
In January 2020, MorphoSys and Incyte entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement to further develop and commercialize tafasitamab globally. Monjuvi (R) is being co-commercialized by Incyte and MorphoSys in the United States. Incyte has exclusive commercialization rights outside the United States.
In June 2021, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a positive opinion recommending the conditional marketing authorization of tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide, followed by tafasitamab monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The CHMP opinion is currently being reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to grant marketing authorization for medicinal products in the European Union (EU).
Tafasitamab is being clinically investigated as a therapeutic option in B-cell malignancies in a number of ongoing combination trials.
Monjuvi (R) is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
XmAb (R) is a registered trademark of Xencor, Inc.
About MorphoSys
MorphoSys (FSE & NASDAQ: MOR) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for people living with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Based on its leading expertise in antibody and protein technologies, MorphoSys is advancing its own pipeline of new drug candidates and has created antibodies that are developed by partners in different areas of unmet medical need. In 2017, Tremfya (R) (guselkumab) – developed by Janssen Research & Development, LLC and marketed by Janssen Biotech, Inc. for the treatment of plaque psoriasis – became the first drug based on MorphoSys’ antibody technology to receive regulatory approval. In July 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval of the company’s proprietary product Monjuvi (R) (tafasitamab-cxix) in combination with lenalidomide for patients with a certain type of lymphoma. Headquartered near Munich, Germany, the MorphoSys Group, including the fully owned U.S. subsidiaries MorphoSys US Inc. and Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has more than 750 employees. For more information visit www.morphosys.com or www.morphosys-us.com.
Monjuvi (R) is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
Tremfya (R) is a registered trademark of Janssen Biotech, Inc.
MorphoSys Forward-Looking Statements
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 known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which might cause the actual results, financial condition and liquidity, performance or achievements of MorphoSys, or industry results, to be materially different from any historic or future results, financial conditions and liquidity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, even if MorphoSys’ results, performance, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which it operates are consistent with such forward-looking statements, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods. Among the factors that may result in differences are that MorphoSys’ expectations may be incorrect, the inherent uncertainties associated with competitive developments, clinical trial and product development activities and regulatory approval requirements, MorphoSys’ reliance on collaborations with third parties, estimating the commercial potential of its development programs and other risks indicated in the risk factors included in MorphoSys’ Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. MorphoSys expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, unless specifically required by law or regulation.
For more information, please contact:
Media Contacts:
Thomas Biegi
Vice President
Tel.: +49 (0)89 / 89927 26079
thomas.biegi@morphosys.com
Investor Contacts:
Dr. Julia Neugebauer
Senior Director
Tel: +49 (0)89 / 899 27 179
julia.neugebauer@morphosys.com
Jeanette Bressi
Director, US Communications
Tel: +1 617-404-7816
jeanette.bressi@morphosys.com
Myles Clouston
Senior Director
Tel: +1 857-772-0240
myles.clouston@morphosys.com
SOURCE: MorphoSys AG
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