MorphoSys AG announced the achievement of a fourth milestone in its cooperation with Centocor Inc. In meeting the milestone, MorphoSys developed several highly optimized fully human IgG antibodies against a disease-associated target provided by Centocor.

As part of the collaboration milestone, MorphoSys applied its proprietary HuCAL GOLD antibody library in order to generate antibodies which passed nine different pre-defined criteria. Achievement of the milestone triggered a payment from Centocor to MorphoSys. Further financial details were not disclosed.

The cooperation between MorphoSys and Centocor, initiated in December 2000, is aimed at the development of human therapeutic antibodies in a range of indications. It includes an option for Centocor on the development of antibodies against up to 30 different target molecules using MorphoSys' technologies. In March 2002, the existing partnership was expanded when Centocor ordered AutoCALTM, the MorphoSys-developed system for automated screening of the HuCAL antibody library.

Recently, both companies entered a new antibody program in which MorphoSys would generate therapeutic antibodies against a target molecule involved in auto-immune diseases.

"The achievement of this fourth milestone demonstrates our ability to apply the HuCAL technology successfully within our alliances," comments Dr. Simon Moroney, chief executive officer of MorphoSys AG. "Our collaboration with Centocor is an important component of our strategy to generate a broad pipeline of therapeutic antibodies based on our proprietary technology."

MorphoSys develops and applies technologies for the production of synthetic antibodies, which accelerate drug discovery and disease-related target molecules. The Company was founded in 1992 and has a wide range of innovative technologies, above all HuCAL, the Human Combinatorial Antibody Library, which is used by researchers worldwide for human antibody generation.