MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today that its research and diagnostic antibody unit AbD Serotec has amended its existing license agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. to include the use of MorphoSys's HuCAL GOLD technology in the field of vaccines. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck is granted access to HuCAL GOLD for research purposes, with the option to upgrade to MorphoSys's latest proprietary antibody library HuCAL PLATINUM. MorphoSys's research and diagnostic antibody segment AbD Serotec will receive annual user fees from Merck for access to the HuCAL technology and license fees for clinical monitoring reagents. Further financial details were not disclosed.
'We welcome Merck's decision to continue using the HuCAL technology on the research side as a tool to support their vaccine development activities. It is a clear sign of the sustained interest of the pharmaceutical industry in our leading antibody technology,' commented Dieter Feger, Senior Vice President and Head of AbD Serotec.