MorphoSys AG's Subsidiary Lanthio Pharma Initiates First-in-Human Clinical Study With Lanthipeptide MOR107
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC: MPSYY) announced today that its fully owned subsidiary Lanthio Pharma B.V., Groningen, Netherlands, has initiated a phase 1 clinical study with MOR107. MOR107, a selective agonist of the angiotensin II receptor type 2, is a lanthipeptide based on Lanthio Pharma's proprietary technology platform and the first lanthipeptide in MorphoSys's clinical pipeline.
The goal of the trial is to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of subcutaneously administered single ascending doses (SAD) of MOR107 in healthy male volunteers. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 study will be conducted in a single center in the United Kingdom and will enroll 80-110 subjects.
Topline results of the study are expected in the second half of 2017.
"We are delighted to see the first lanthipeptide program from our Dutch subsidiary Lanthio Pharma entering clinical development. MOR107 is the sixth program from MorphoSys's proprietary portfolio in clinical trials. The start of this innovative investigational program reflects the growing value and maturity of our development pipeline", commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG.
"We are excited that with MOR107, the first compound from our technology platform has started clinical development", said Dr. Axel Mescheder, Chief Medical Officer of Lanthio Pharma B.V. "Lanthipeptides are an interesting class of peptide molecules that have been engineered with the intention to further enhance stability and selectivity of this compound class."
About Lanthio Pharma and MOR107
Lanthio Pharma B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of MorphoSys AG since 2015, is a Dutch biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing therapeutic peptides to activate difficult to target receptors (e.g. GPCRs). With its proprietary technology, Lanthio Pharma is generating lanthipeptides, a new class of cyclical peptide molecules which have been engineered with the intention to achieve enhanced stability and selectivity. Lanthio Pharma is focused on the protective arm of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS). Lanthio Pharma has currently two programs targeting the two key receptors in this pathway. The lead product is MOR107 (formerly LP2-3), a selective AT2 receptor agonist. MOR107 is currently investigated in a "first-in-human" clinical study in healthy volunteers.
About MorphoSys
MorphoSys developed HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology in the pharmaceutical industry. By successfully applying this and other patented technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human healthcare.
Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a therapeutic pipeline of more than 100 human antibody drug candidates for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few. With its ongoing commitment to new antibody technology and drug development, MorphoSys is focused on making the healthcare products of tomorrow. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com.
HuCAL(R), HuCAL GOLD(R), HuCAL PLATINUM(R), CysDisplay(R), RapMAT(R), arYla(R), Ylanthia(R), 100 billion high potentials(R), Slonomics(R), Lanthio Pharma(R) and LanthioPep(R) are registered trademarks of the MorphoSys Group.
The goal of the trial is to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of subcutaneously administered single ascending doses (SAD) of MOR107 in healthy male volunteers. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 study will be conducted in a single center in the United Kingdom and will enroll 80-110 subjects.
Topline results of the study are expected in the second half of 2017.
"We are delighted to see the first lanthipeptide program from our Dutch subsidiary Lanthio Pharma entering clinical development. MOR107 is the sixth program from MorphoSys's proprietary portfolio in clinical trials. The start of this innovative investigational program reflects the growing value and maturity of our development pipeline", commented Dr. Marlies Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG.
"We are excited that with MOR107, the first compound from our technology platform has started clinical development", said Dr. Axel Mescheder, Chief Medical Officer of Lanthio Pharma B.V. "Lanthipeptides are an interesting class of peptide molecules that have been engineered with the intention to further enhance stability and selectivity of this compound class."
About Lanthio Pharma and MOR107
Lanthio Pharma B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of MorphoSys AG since 2015, is a Dutch biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing therapeutic peptides to activate difficult to target receptors (e.g. GPCRs). With its proprietary technology, Lanthio Pharma is generating lanthipeptides, a new class of cyclical peptide molecules which have been engineered with the intention to achieve enhanced stability and selectivity. Lanthio Pharma is focused on the protective arm of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS). Lanthio Pharma has currently two programs targeting the two key receptors in this pathway. The lead product is MOR107 (formerly LP2-3), a selective AT2 receptor agonist. MOR107 is currently investigated in a "first-in-human" clinical study in healthy volunteers.
About MorphoSys
MorphoSys developed HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology in the pharmaceutical industry. By successfully applying this and other patented technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human healthcare.
Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a therapeutic pipeline of more than 100 human antibody drug candidates for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few. With its ongoing commitment to new antibody technology and drug development, MorphoSys is focused on making the healthcare products of tomorrow. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com.
HuCAL(R), HuCAL GOLD(R), HuCAL PLATINUM(R), CysDisplay(R), RapMAT(R), arYla(R), Ylanthia(R), 100 billion high potentials(R), Slonomics(R), Lanthio Pharma(R) and LanthioPep(R) are registered trademarks of the MorphoSys Group.