Morphotek Signs Development and Clinical Supply Agreement with Baxter for Lead Therapeutic Antibody

Morphotek Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement for Baxter Healthcare Corporation to support the development and manufacture of its lead targeted cancer therapeutic antibody, MORAb-003, which is being developed by Morphotek for the treatment of ovarian and other cancers. MORAb-003 is a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes a cell surface antigen over-expressed in 90 percent of all ovarian cancers and a subset of other epithelial cancers.

Through the use of its proprietary MORPHODOMA® technology, Morphotek has successfully optimized this antibody. The antibody was obtained from an ongoing collaboration with The Ludwig Institute For Cancer Research (LICR), which involves the optimization of lead antibodies that specifically target proprietary and validated cell surface cancer antigens. Morphotek's MORPHODOMA® process allows for the rapid development of second-generation manufacturing strains capable of producing commercial quantities of antibody with enhanced affinity and/or increased specificity to target antigens.

"Morphotek is extremely pleased to have selected Baxter as its contract manufacturer for our lead therapeutic product candidate," said Philip Sass, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief operating officer of Morphotek. "This agreement is key to ensuring a consistent and high-quality supply of MORAb-003 to our clinical oncologists and their patients as we enter human clinical trials within the next year. We are very confident that Baxter, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, will meet both our production and quality goals and timelines as our supplier of MORAb-003."

"We look forward to supporting Morphotek's clinical program in the development and manufacturing of a potential cancer therapeutic," said Allen Harmon, director of operations for Baxter's Hayward, Calif. facility. "We offer innovative manufacturing capabilities that make us a valuable partner in the development and manufacture of biological products."

"Morphotek is applying its proprietary platform process to develop a portfolio of candidate therapeutic antibodies and proteins for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, and infectious disease," said Nicholas Nicolaides, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Morphotek. "MORAb-003 is the first of several exciting antibody product candidates that we anticipate optimizing and advancing into clinical development over the next couple of years."

More information on Baxter's capabilities can be found at www.BioScienceCMS.com and www.baxterdrugdelivery.com.

Morphotek is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of protein and antibody products through the use of a novel and proprietary gene evolution technology. The technology has been successfully applied to a broad variety of cell lines and organisms to yield genetically diverse offspring that are suitable for pharmaceutical product development in the areas of antibody therapeutics, protein therapeutics, product manufacturing, drug target discovery, and improved output traits for commercial applications. The company is currently focusing its platform on the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infectious disease. For further company information visit www.morphotek.com

For Information Contact:
Philip M. Sass, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Morphotek Inc.
610-423-6106, info@morphotek.com

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