MorphoSys AG ,a German biotechnology company that develops HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology in the pharmaceutical industry, announced that its collaborator Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen) has initiated a phase 2 clinical trial in psoriatic arthritis with the HuCAL antibody guselkumab (CNTO1959). The event triggered a clinical milestone payment to MorphoSys. Further financial details were not disclosed.

"We are delighted to see Janssen moving guselkumab into a new clinical programme for psoriatic arthritis," commented Dr Marlies Sproll, chief scientific officer of MorphoSys AG. "Today's news marks the first of up to six clinical milestone events we expect to see with partners this year."

MorphoSys's collaboration with Janssen has resulted in three clinical programmes to date, two of which are in phase 2 development and one, guselkumab, in phase 3 in psoriasis (most advanced trial). In total, MorphoSys's partnered and proprietary clinical pipeline currently comprises 23 unique antibody molecules which are being evaluated in more than 60 clinical trials.