Morphotek and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Announce Collaborative Research Agreement to Develop Therapeutical Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Cancer

Morphotek Inc. and the Ludwig Institute For Cancer Research (LICR) have entered into a collaborative research and development agreement to develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and antibody production strains for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Morphotek will apply its patented MORPHODOMA® technology to LICR cell lines producing humanized MAbs that specifically target proprietary cell surface cancer antigens. Application of the MORPHODOMA® process to LICR's therapeutic MAbs will create second-generation manufacturing strains capable of producing commercial quantities of antibody with enhanced affinity and/or increased specificity to target antigens. Morphotek and LICR will co-own and develop the improved antibodies through early-stage clinical trials with Morphotek having the right to exclusively license each MORPHODOMATM-derived line.

"Morphotek is extremely pleased to have the Ludwig Institute as a partner in our continuing efforts to access early-stage biological therapeutics whose activity and/or production can be enhanced for commercialization using our patented platform technology," says Nicholas C. Nicolaides, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Morphotek. "Application of our MORPHODOMA® process to Ludwig's humanized antibodies will enable us to rapidly produce improved MAbs as therapeutic products for the treatment of human malignancies."

"This is the second of many collaborative partnerships that we expect to announce over the upcoming year that focuses on the application of our in vivo process to evolve and enhance the manufacturing productivity and/or affinity of antibodies directly within a production cell line," adds Philip M. Sass, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief operating officer of Morphotek.

The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (www.licr.org) is an international not-for-profit organization that originates and conducts long-range research programs directed to the ultimate goal of eradicating cancer. The Ludwig Institute translates basic research discoveries into therapeutic practices and has an established in-house GMP production facility. It is an active sponsor of its own clinical trials using a network of centers located within the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

Morphotek (www.morphotek.com) is a biotechnology company focused on the generation of proprietary organisms for product development using a patented platform technology that can enhance the natural process of genetic evolution within a targeted host. The technology has been successfully applied to microbes, plants, and mammals to yield genetically diverse offspring that are suitable for pharmaceutical and agricultural 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 development and manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infectious disease.

For Information Contact:
Dr. Nicholas C. Nicolaides, President, CEO and CSO
Morphotek Inc.
610-423-6102

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