MorphoSys announced that its licensee Janssen Research & Development has initiated two phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tremfya (guselkumab) in the treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting both the joints and the skin. Tremfya is a fully human anti-IL-23 monoclonal antibody developed by Janssen, and was generated utilizing MorphoSys's proprietary HuCAL antibody technology.

MorphoSys will receive a milestone payment from Janssen in connection with the start of phase 3 development in PsA. Financial details were not disclosed.

Dr. Markus Enzelberger, Interim Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG, said: "We are very pleased that our licensee Janssen has started pivotal phase 3 development with TremfyaTM in psoriatic arthritis. If successful, this could result in a further expansion of the therapeutic range of the compound. Through Janssen's innovative development of TremfyaTM leading to U.S. FDA approval, it recently became the first therapeutic antibody based on MorphoSys's technology platform that has been made available to patients in the U.S."