Download Morphotek Announces Collaborative Research Agreement with

[ Industry Watch ]
AUSTRALIA
Morphotek Announces
Collaborative Research
Agreement with Ludwig Institute
for Cancer Research
M
o r p h o t e k ( R ) I n c, a
subsidiary of Eisai Co Ltd.
announced the signing of
a collaborative research agreement
with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer
Research (LICR). The multi-year
agreement will fund research at
LICR to develop model systems
that can validate the role of novel
pathways for human disease and
conduct preclinical proof-of-concept
studies to demonstrate the feasibility
of employing antibodies to block
these disease pathways, potentially
leading to the development of novel
therapies.
“This collaboration offers
Morphotek novel technology and
model systems to rapidly validate
targets and potential therapeutic
lead antibodies generated from our
MORPHODOMA(R) technologies,”
said Nicholas Nicolaides, President
and CEO of Morphotek. “The LICR
research team has a proven scientific
track record and technology for
developing model systems, as well
as the ability to test the activity of
biological compounds for proofof-concept at the preclinical stage.
This collaboration will support our
efforts to rapidly discover, develop
and validate lead antibodies that
can in turn be tested in clinical trials
for a variety of potential disease
indications.”
Morphotek and LICR have
collaborated for several years on
programs that have led to clinical
42 ■ Volume 12 > Number 3 > 2008
candidates. The precursor antibody
to Morphotek’s lead therapeutic
antibody, MORAb-003, currently
in Phase II trials for ovarian cancer,
was originally discovered by LICR
researchers and optimized using
Morphotek’s MORPHODOMA(R)
technology. The target and precursor
of a second antibody product,
MORAb-004, in development
for the treatment of neovascular
diseases, also was discovered by LICR
researchers using their proprietary
technology.
About Morphotek
Morphotek(R) Inc, a subsidiary of
Eisai Co Ltd, 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.
About Ludwig Institute for
Cancer Research
The Ludwig Institute for Cancer
Research (LICR) is the largest
international not-for-profit institute
dedicated to understanding and
seeking treatments for cancer. LICR
has a global scientific network, with
operations at 43 sites in 15 countries.
LICR has developed an extensive
portfolio of reagents, knowledge,
expertise and intellectual property,
and has also assembled the personnel,
facilities and practices necessary to
patent, clinically evaluate, license, and
thus translate, the most promising
aspects of its own laboratory research
into cancer therapies. ■
Contact Details:
Morphotek
Address:210 Welsh Pool Road
Exton, PA 19341
Tel:
+610 423 6100
URL:
www.morphotek.com
Contact Details:
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Address:6th floor, Centre for Medical
Research
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Royal Parade, Parkville
Victoria
Tel:
+61 3 9341 3155
Fax:
+61 3 9341 3104
URL:
www.ludwig.edu.au
www.asiabiotech.com