Antibody specialist MorphoSys AG and Melbourne University, Australia, said the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has confirmed it will issue U.S. Patent No. 7,455,836, covering key uses of antibodies against GM-CSF.
Melbourne filed the patent in 2000, subsequently agreeing a collaboration with Munch-based Morphosys in 2007. The patent covers the use of antibodies against the cytokine Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor GM-CSF in treating inflammatory diseases.
GM-CSF is the target of MorphoSys's proprietary MOR103 antibody programme for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. MOR103, the first fully human antibody against GM-CSF in clinical trials, could offer an innovative treatment option for RA based on a different mechanism of from anti-TNF antibodies.
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