MorphoSys and Heptares to develop antibody therapeutics targeting GPCRs

Published: 13-Feb-2013

MorphoSys will apply Ylanthia library to develop products against StaRs from Heptares


MorphoSys has signed an agreement with Heptares Therapeutics, a UK-based GPCR drug discovery and development company, to discover antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the membrane proteins involved in a range of biological processes and diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Heptares will generate stabilised receptors (StaRs) for a set of GPCR disease targets proposed by MorphoSys. MorphoSys will then apply its Ylanthia antibody library to discover and develop antibody therapeutics against these StaRs.

MorphoSys has the right to sub-license access to these targets in conjunction with therapeutic antibody candidates. Heptares will receive upfront and research funding payments, plus a share of future sublicensing revenues generated by MorphoSys.

Heptares will also use the Ylanthia library to develop and commercialise a therapeutic antibody created by MorphoSys against a GPCR target selected by Heptares. In this case, MorphoSys would receive licensing fees, milestones and royalties on any Ylanthia antibody developed by Heptares.

No financial details have been revealed.

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