Schering-Plough, MorphoSys Extend Antibody Alliance

Schering-Plough Corp. has extended its collaboration with MorphoSys AG for one year. The collaboration, announced in May 2006, has a maximum term of five years until 2011 and may be extended by SP after each year. Under the agreement, SP will continue to have access to MorphoSys’s antibody library HuCAL GOLD at its research site in Palo Alto, CA, the location of Schering-Plough Biopharma. The contract also provides SP with the option to develop and commercialize HuCAL-derived therapeutic antibodies, in which case MorphoSys would receive exclusive license fees, milestone payments, and royalties. Under the extended agreement MorphoSys continues to receive annual user fees for access to its HuCAL platform. Further financial details were not disclosed.
   
“Today’s news is yet another clear signal that our HuCAL technology will continue to form the basis of antibody-based drug development programs at a number of leading pharmaceutical companies,” commented Dr. Simon Moroney, chief executive officer of MorphoSys. “We are very pleased with Schering-Plough’s decision to continue using our HuCAL GOLD technology for their antibody development programs.”