Morphotek Announces IND Submission for MORAb-009, a Monoclonal Antibody for the Treatment of Mesothelin-Expressing Cancers

Exton, PA, January 9, 2006 – Morphotek® Inc. announced today the submission of an investigational new drug application (IND) to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for MORAb-009, a monoclonal antibody targeting mesothelin. Preclinical data indicate that mesothelin is highly over-expressed in tumors of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and other prevalent cancers including non-small lung carcinoma, ovarian carcinoma and mesothelioma and may be associated with disease activity. Research has shown MORAb-009 to inhibit tumor growth by inhibiting mesothelin binding to extracellular substrate and also through antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Morphotek obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize this antibody worldwide from the National Cancer Institute where the mesothelin protein and its expression association with various cancer types were discovered.

"This IND submission reflects Morphotek’s commitment to the rapid and efficient development of novel therapeutic agents to treat unmet medical needs in the areas of oncology, inflammation and infectious diseases," said Martin Phillips, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Morphotek.

"The entry of this antibody into the clinic demonstrates our ability to successfully discover and develop antibodies for clinical benefit. The MORAb-009 IND is the second we have submitted for an antibody product developed using our proprietary technology and we plan to advance additional antibodies over the next several quarters." said Nicholas C. Nicolaides, President and Chief Executive Officer of Morphotek.

Morphotek, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the generation of proprietary proteins for product discovery and development. The Company has a validated and patented platform technology called morphogenics that rapidly enhances the natural process of genetic evolution within a targeted host to yield variants with novel, commercially important output traits. Morphotek markets an antibody development platform called Human MORPHODOMA® that employs morphogenics to yield fully human, high-affinity MAbs from high-titer hybridoma cells. The platform is also employed as a discovery tool to generate libraries of hybridomas yielding fully-human MAbs for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in humans. Both platforms bypass the burdensome royalty stacking issues associated with recombinant antibody technologies. Internally, Morphotek employs its technologies to develop optimized therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory and infectious diseases. For further information visit www.morphotek.com.

Contact:
Kimberly Ilgenfritz
Executive Director, Business Development & Marketing
Phone: 610-423-6147 or e-mail: ilgenfritz@morphotek.com
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