MorphoSys AG and Boehringer Ingelheim have signed a manufacturing agreement for therapeutic antibodies covering the process development and manufacture of additional clinical material for MorphoSys’s MOR208 program and other drug candidates. MOR208 is a potent monoclonal anti-CD19 antibody in development for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and potentially other B-cell malignancies. The program is currently in Phase I development in the U.S. by MorphoSys’s partner Xencor, Inc.

“Adding another supplier to our proprietary development set-up will help to prevent any bottlenecks in clinical trial supply in the years ahead,” said Dr. Marlies Sproll, chief scientific officer of MorphoSys AG. “Also, establishing a commercial manufacturing process with Boehringer Ingelheim early in the development of MOR208 will clearly increase the value of this program.”

Simon Sturge, corporate senior vice president of the biopharmaceuticals division at Boehringer Ingelheim, said, “We believe that the combination of MorphoSys’s successful track record in the discovery and clinical development of antibody-based therapeutics and our proven competence in technical development and manufacturing will be an optimal fit. We look forward to supporting the team at MorphoSys with robust manufacturing processes for clinic and market supply.”