SHANGHAI and GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 15,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- I-Mab (the "Company") (Nasdaq:
IMAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the
discovery, development, and commercialization of novel biologics,
today announced two assets the Company has licensed from partner
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; NASDAQ: MOR), felzartamab (also known as
TJ202/MOR202) and TJ210 (also known as MOR210), are advancing
globally through new license agreements.
MorphoSys and Human Immunology Biosciences, Inc. (HIBio), a
biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicines for
autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, backed by ARCH Venture
Partners and Monograph Capital, announced that the companies have
entered into an equity participation agreement and license
agreements to allow HIBio to develop and commercialize MorphoSys'
felzartamab, an CD38 antibody, and TJ210, an C5aR1 antibody,
outside of Greater China.
Currently I-Mab is developing and commercializing felzartamab in
Greater China and TJ210 in
Greater China and South Korea.
Under the terms of the new agreements, HIBio will obtain
exclusive rights to develop and commercialize felzartamab and TJ210
across all indications worldwide, excluding Greater China for felzartamab and Greater China and South Korea for TJ210.
"We have made significant progress in the development of
felzartamab towards registration in China and we have brought TJ210 to the clinic
in the United States. We are
excited and look forward to working together with MorphoSys and
HIBio to advance clinical development and commercialization of
felzartamab and TJ210," said Dr. Andrew
Zhu, President of I-Mab. "This brings us one step further in
providing these innovative investigational medicines to
China and other countries as soon
as possible to benefit more patients."
Based on a licensing agreement between MorphoSys and I-Mab
signed in November 2017, I-Mab owns
the exclusive rights for development and commercialization of
felzartamab in Greater China.
MorphoSys and I-Mab entered into an exclusive strategic
collaboration and licensing agreement to develop and commercialize
TJ210 in November 2018. Under the
terms of agreement, I-Mab obtained exclusive rights to develop and
commercialize TJ210 in Greater
China and South Korea and
share certain rights when I-Mab completes pre-agreed clinical
milestones in the U.S. With the productive partnership with
MorphoSys, I-Mab has completed felzartamab registrational trial for
third-line multiple myeloma (MM) and advanced the Phase 3 trial for
second-line MM in China. I-Mab is
currently conducting Phase 1 clinical trial in U.S. for TJ210 in
oncology indications.
About Felzartamab
Felzartamab (TJ202/MOR202) is an investigational human
monoclonal antibody derived from MorphoSys' HuCAL® antibody
technology. The antibody is directed against CD38 on the surface of
multiple myeloma cells, which has been characterized as one of the
most strongly and uniformly expressed antigens on the surface of
malignant plasma cells. According to its suggested mode of action,
the antibody recruits cells of the body's immune system to kill the
tumor through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and
antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). The antibody does
not involve complement dependent cytotoxicity, or CDC, an
additional immune mechanism involved in tumor cell killing.
Scientific research suggests that an anti-CD38 antibody may have
therapeutic potential also in other cancers as well as autoimmune
diseases. Based on a licensing agreement between MorphoSys and
I-Mab signed in November 2017, I-Mab
owns the exclusive rights for development and commercialization of
TJ202/MOR202 in mainland China,
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
HuCAL® is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
About TJ210/MOR210
TJ210/MOR210 is a novel human antibody directed against C5aR1
derived from MorphoSys's HuCAL Platinum® technology. C5aR1, the
receptor of the complement factor C5a, is investigated as a
potential new drug target in the field of immuno-oncology and
autoimmune diseases. Tumors have been shown to produce high amounts
of C5a, which, by recruiting and activating myeloid-derived
suppressor cells (MDSCs), M2 macrophages and neutrophils, is
assumed to contribute to an immune-suppressive pro-tumorigenic
microenvironment. TJ210/MOR210 is intended to block the interaction
between C5a and its receptor, thereby potentially neutralizing the
immune suppressive function of C5a and enabling immune cells to
attack the tumor.
HuCAL Platinum® is a registered trademark of MorphoSys AG.
About I-Mab
I-Mab (Nasdaq: IMAB) is an innovation-driven global biopharma
company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization
of novel and highly differentiated biologics for immuno-oncology
diseases. The Company's mission is to bring transformational
medicines to patients around the world through innovation. I-Mab's
globally competitive pipeline of more than 20 clinical and
preclinical-stage drug candidates is driven by its internal
discovery and global partnerships for in-licensing, based on the
Company's Fast-to-Proof-of-Concept and Fast-to-Market development
strategies. The Company is progressing from a clinical-stage
biotech company into an innovative global specialty
biopharmaceutical company with cutting-edge R&D capabilities, a
world-class GMP manufacturing facility, and commercial capability.
I-Mab has established its global footprint in Shanghai (headquarters), Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Lishui and Hong Kong in China, and Maryland and San
Diego in the United States. For more information,
please visit http://www.i-mabbiopharma.com and follow I-Mab on
LinkedIn, Twitter, and WeChat.
I-Mab Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These
statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as
"will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans,"
"believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Among
other things, the business outlook and quotations in this press
release, as well as the statements regarding data from the
felzartamab (TJ202/MOR202) and TJ210/MOR210 clinical trials, the
potential implications of clinical data for patients, and I-Mab's
advancement of, and anticipated clinical development, regulatory
milestones and commercialization of felzartamab (TJ202/MOR202) and
TJ210/MOR210, contain forward-looking statements. I-Mab may also
make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic
reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in
its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other
written materials and in oral statements made by its officers,
directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not
historical facts, including statements about I-Mab's beliefs and
expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results
may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking
statements as a result of various important factors, including but
not limited to I-Mab's ability to demonstrate the safety and
efficacy of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug
candidates, which may not support further development or NDA/BLA
approval; the content and timing of decisions made by the relevant
regulatory authorities regarding regulatory approval of I-Mab's
drug candidates; I-Mab's ability to achieve commercial success for
its drug candidates, if approved; I-Mab's ability to obtain and
maintain protection of intellectual property for its technology and
drugs; I-Mab's reliance on third parties to conduct drug
development, manufacturing and other services; I-Mab's limited
operating history and I-Mab's ability to obtain additional funding
for operations and to complete the development and
commercialization of its drug candidates; and the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's clinical development, commercial
and other operations, as well as those risks more fully discussed
in the "Risk Factors" section in I-Mab's most recent annual report
on Form 20-F, as well as discussions of potential risks,
uncertainties, and other important factors in I-Mab's subsequent
filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements are based on
information currently available to I-Mab, and I-Mab undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
For more information, please contact:
I-Mab Contacts
Richard Yeh
Chief Operating Officer
IR@i-mabbiopharma.com
Gigi Feng
Chief Communications Officer
PR@i-mabbiopharma.com
Investor Inquiries
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Emilie Wu
E-mail: emilie@thepiacentegroup.com
Office line: +86 21 6039 8363
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SOURCE I-Mab