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Source: Morphotek, Inc.
Contact: Nicholas Nicolaides Morphotek, Inc. 610-423-6100 info@morphotek.com
Judee Shuler Eisai Corporation of North America 201-746-2241 judee_shuler@eisai.com
Bryan Evans Reverb—DBC 215-957-0300 bevans@dbcommunications.net
Exton, Pa. , June 17, 2008 – Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Corporation of North America, announced today that the company has received $1.7M funding approval from the U.S. Department of Defense to support the development of biologic-based monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies against staphylococcal-derived pathogens.
The proceeds will be used to help further develop mAbs targeting staphylococcal toxins as well as staph itself for the treatment of infectious diseases. By employing Morphotek’s proprietary antibody technologies, the company has developed multiple mAbs that are able to bind and neutralize the toxic effects elicited by microbial pathogens and is applying its technology to generate potent therapeutic mAbs to treat diseases caused by potential biowarfare pathogens.
“We are extremely pleased to receive continued support from the Department of Defense to develop novel compounds to treat against biowarfare pathogens and infectious disease,” said Nicholas Nicolaides, Ph.D., President and CEO of Morphotek. “The development of mAbs that can effectively neutralize the pathogenic activity of staph derived toxins will enable us to advance these leads into clinical studies for validation and registration.”
These programs are made possible through a collaborative effort between Morphotek and scientists at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), at Fort Detrick, MD. The programs are consistent with Morphotek and Eisai's human health care (hhc) mission to satisfy unmet medical needs and increase the benefits to the patients and their families.
Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Corporation of North America, is a biopharmaceutical 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 development and manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infectious disease. For more information, please visit www.morphotek.com.
About USAMRIID
USAMRIID, located at Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the lead medical research laboratory for the U.S. Department of Defense Biological Defense Research Program, and plays a key role in national defense and in infectious disease research. The Institute conducts basic and applied research on biological threats resulting in medical solutions (such as vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to protect the warfighter. While USAMRIID’s primary mission is focused on the military, its research often has applications that benefit society as a whole. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. For more information, visit www.usamriid.army.mil.
About Eisai Corporation of North America
Eisai Corporation of North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. and supports the activities of its operating companies in North America. These operating companies include: Eisai Research Institute of Boston, Inc., a discovery operation with strong organic chemistry capabilities; Morphotek, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies; Eisai Medical Research Inc., a clinical development group; Eisai Inc., a commercial operation with manufacturing and marketing/sales functions; and Eisai Machinery U.S.A., which markets and maintains pharmaceutical manufacturing machinery.
About Eisai Co., Ltd.
Eisai Co., Ltd. is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three areas of therapeutic focus: Integrative neuroscience including neurology and psychiatric medicines; gastrointestinal disorders; and integrative oncology including oncotherapy and supportive-care treatments. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide health care system. Eisai employs more than 10,000 people worldwide and reported worldwide sales of 734.3 billion in FY2007 (year ended March 31, 2008). More than 50 percent of the group sales are derived from overseas business. For more information, please visit www.eisai.co.jp.
The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.