MorphoSys AG, a developer of antibodies, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced a long-term (five-year) strategic alliance for the discovery and development of novel therapeutic antibodies against cancer.

MorphoSys will work with MD Anderson’s Oncology Research for Biologics and Immunotherapy Translation (ORBIT) unit, a platform of MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program with a combination of industry and academic science expertise in the development of monoclonal antibodies.

Collaborating on numerous targets in a variety of oncology indications, the partners will work together to identify, validate and develop anti-cancer antibodies through to clinical proof of concept. MorphoSys will apply its proprietary Ylanthia technology to generate and optimize fully human antibody candidates against jointly selected targets. The parties will collaborate in target validation and preclinical drug development to bring selected candidates into the clinic.

MD Anderson also will conduct in collaboration with MorphoSys early clinical trials of therapeutic antibody candidates with the goal of obtaining proof of concept, utilizing its translational medicine capabilities to optimize development.

During the five-year research phase of the partnership, the parties will select innovative targets and apply their respective expertise and technologies to generate and validate antibody candidates against these targets. During the development phase of the collaboration, the parties will jointly develop antibodies through clinical proof of concept. Thereafter, MorphoSys has options to continue development of selected antibodies through later clinical stages.

Source: MorphoSys