September 10, 2010: MorphoSys AG has announced a new proprietary development programme against novel infectious disease targets. The company has signed a licence and collaboration agreement with UK-based Absynth Biologics providing access to novel target molecules associated with Staphylococcus aureus infections including MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus). MorphoSys will generate antibodies using its proprietary HuCAL PLATINUM antibody library which Absynth will test in relevant disease models. MorphoSys will be solely responsible for the development and partnering of the resulting compounds. Absynth will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for development-dependent milestone payments and royalties.
Absynth’s genomics-based approach allows identification of previously overlooked targets, such as bacterial components that are crucial to the organism, conserved across different bacterial strains and accessible for antibodies. Absynth has demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies against the targets in-licensed by MorphoSys inhibit the growth of S. aureus and recruit the human immune system to eliminate bacteria via phagocytosis. Absynth has filed patent applications on all targets involved in the collaboration.
Hospital-acquired or nosocomial infections are a growing public health concern and are associated with increasing levels of mortality. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the USA alone about 1.7 million nosocomial infections and 99,000 associated deaths occur each year. These infections are caused by micro-organisms including drug-resistant MRSA. In the UK, S. aureus accounts for almost half of all hospital-acquired infections.
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