Morphotek Licenses Anti-Cancer Antibody

Morphotek, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., has signed a licensing agreement with Human Monoclonals International, Inc. (HMI) for exclusive rights to a human monoclonal IgM antibody that is specific to a cancer cell surface antigen. Morphotek will use its Morphodoma antibody technology in an effort to develop an optimized lead therapeutic monoclonal antibody and high-titer cell lines suitable for scalable manufacturing.
   
“This agreement provides yet another important addition to our therapeutic antibody portfolio,” said Nicholas Nicolaides, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Morphotek. “Safety data and positive clinical observations from an exploratory Phase I clinical trial in patients with metastatic melanoma have been reported. Our antibody optimization and development expertise will enable the further development of this promising antibody and clinical proof-of-concept studies in more types of cancer.”
   
The antibody was discovered through research focused on tumor cell biology and human cancer, in which researchers screened for naturally occurring antibodies made by the patient’s immune system. Antibodies discovered using this approach provide a way to isolate antibodies that recognize epitopes present on tumor antigens. Epitopes can elicit an immune response to cancer cells. Morphotek will attempt to advance this molecule into possible clinical trials in a variety of cancer indications.