MorphoSys Announces First Results from Phase 1 Study with Lanthipeptide MOR107 in Healthy Volunteers

PLANEGG/MUNICH, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / May 19, 2017 / MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC: MPSYY) announced today the completion of the first part of a phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers with the investigational drug candidate MOR107 ahead of schedule. MOR107 is a selective agonist of the angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AT2-R), and is a lanthipeptide based on the proprietary technology platform of MorphoSys’s subsidiary Lanthio Pharma. MOR107 is also the first lanthipeptide in MorphoSys’s clinical pipeline.

Based on an initial analysis of subjects enrolled to date, in all doses tested in this first-in-human trial, based on blinded data, there were no clinically relevant safety events seen, and all adverse events observed thus far were mild and transient in nature. Moreover, a dose-dependent pharmacokinetic profile for MOR107 was observed.

“We are very pleased with the initial data from the first part of the phase 1 clinical study of our MOR107 lanthipeptide in healthy volunteers conducted by our subsidiary Lanthio Pharma”, commented Dr. Malte Peters, Chief Development Officer of MorphoSys AG. “Preparations for the second part of the trial are ongoing.”

The study has been conducted by MorphoSys’s fully owned subsidiary Lanthio Pharma B.V., Groningen, Netherlands.

About Lanthio Pharma and MOR107

Lanthio Pharma B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of MorphoSys AG since 2015, is a Dutch biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing therapeutic peptides to activate difficult to target receptors (e.g. GPCRs). With its proprietary technology, Lanthio Pharma is generating lanthipeptides, a new class of cyclical peptide molecules which have been engineered with the intention of achieving enhanced stability and selectivity. Research is focused on the protective arm of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS). Lanthio Pharma has currently two programs targeting the two key receptors in this pathway. The lead product is MOR107 (formerly LP2-3), a selective angiotensin II receptor type 2 receptor (AT2-R) agonist. MOR107 is currently being investigated in a “first-in-human” phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers.

About MorphoSys

MorphoSys is committed to developing exceptional new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases. A leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies today, MorphoSys is driven by the ambition of creating the most valuable pipeline of biopharmaceuticals in the biotechnology industry. Based on its proprietary technology platforms, MorphoSys, together with its partners, has built a therapeutic pipeline of more than 110 programs in R&D, around a quarter of which is currently in clinical development.

In its proprietary development segment, MorphoSys, alone or with partners, is developing new therapeutic candidates, mainly focusing on cancer and inflammation. In its partnered discovery segment, MorphoSys uses its technologies to discover new drug candidates for pharmaceutical partners and participates from the programs’ further development success, through success-based payments and royalties. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com.

HuCAL(R), HuCAL GOLD(R), HuCAL PLATINUM(R), CysDisplay(R), RapMAT(R), arYla(R), Ylanthia(R), 100 billion high potentials(R), Slonomics(R), Lanthio Pharma(R) and LanthioPep(R) are registered trademarks of the MorphoSys Group.

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
Anke Linnartz
Head of Corporate Communications & IR

Jochen Orlowski
Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR

Alexandra Goller
Senior Manager Corporate Communications & IR

Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-404
investors@morphosys.com

SOURCE: MorphoSys AG via the EQS Newswire distribution service including Press Releases and Regulatory Announcements

ReleaseID: 463695