MorphoSys AG, the German biotechnology company, has reported that it had achieved an important milestone in its collaboration with ImmunoGen, Inc. MorphoSys successfully generated antibodies meeting all success criteria against a cancer target provided by ImmunoGen. This achievement triggered a milestone payment from ImmunoGen to MorphoSys.

The two companies have been collaborating since September 2000 in developing a fully human antibody against an ImmunoGen provided cell-surface target associated with various forms of cancer. Additionally, since June 2001, ImmunoGen has had access to the MorphoSys HuCAL antibody library for use in its internal research programs.

MorphoSys recently delivered several antibodies against ImmunoGen's cancer target molecule - antibodies that had been optimized using the MorphoSys HuCAL library. ImmunoGen confirmed that the antibodies provided by MorphoSys fulfill all success criteria that were established. As part of the agreement, MorphoSys will receive development related milestone payments and royalties on marketed products emerging from the collaboration.

"Our success today is yet another demonstration of our ability to use HuCAL to generate precisely engineered human antibodies against a variety of targets", said Dr. Thomas von Rüden, chief scientific officer, MorphoSys AG.