Morphotek Announces Research and Development Agreement with USAMRID at Fort Detrick for the Development of Antibodies to Detect and Treat Biowarfare Pathogens

Morphotek Inc. announced today that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, MD for the development of novel biochemicals and antibodies for detection and therapy against pathogenic agents causing infectious diseases of public health and biodefense importance.

Under the CRADA, Morphotek will apply its proprietary MORPHODOMA® technology to develop fully human antibodies that can specifically target high priority pathogenic agents as well as employ its DIRECT-LINE® technology to develop evolved human epithelial cells that are naturally resistant to biological pathogens for discovery and product development. USAMRIID will provide its expertise in characterizing and evaluating lead antibodies and antimicrobial compounds for specificity and therapeutic efficacy.

"Government/private collaborations have served as the cornerstone for successful research and development efforts covering a broad array of products," said George V. Ludwig, Ph.D., interim science director for USAMRIID. "Our collaboration with Morphotek promises to serve as a prime example of how these relationships can be focused toward developing solutions to critical biodefense problems that will ultimately benefit the nation."

"Scientists at USAMRIID have recognized the unique potential of our technology to develop effective novel antimicrobial and antiviral molecules as well as fully human antibodies that can detect and treat individuals exposed to toxic pathogens," said Dr. Nicholas C. Nicolaides, President and Chief Executive Officer of Morphotek. "This collaboration will yield lead molecules that will ultimately be pursued in clinical trials to demonstrate utility as therapeutic agents as well as field tested to demonstrate their utility in early-stage detection of biowarfare agents for military and civilian applications."

About Morphotek

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

About USAMRIID

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), located at Fort Detrick, Maryland, conducts research to develop strategies, products, information, procedures, and training programs for medical defense against biological warfare threats and naturally occurring infectious diseases that require special containment. USAMRIID, an organization of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), is the lead medical research laboratory for the U.S. Biological Defense Research Program. The Institute plays a key role in national defense and in infectious disease research as the largest biocontainment laboratory in the Department of Defense (DOD) for the study of hazardous diseases.

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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