CNTO 1959: Phase II started

MorphoSys said Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Biotech Inc. unit began the double-blind, U.S. Phase II X-PLORE trial to compare 5, 15, 50, 100 and 200 mg subcutaneous CNTO 1959 vs. placebo or adalimumab in about 280 patients with moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis for 40 weeks. The start triggers an undisclosed milestone payment to MorphoSys under a 2000 deal in which MorphoSys used its HuCAL human combinatorial antibody library to generate antibodies for a range of indications and perform target discovery for Janssen. The discovery portion of the deal expired in late 2007 and MorphoSys is eligible for milestone payments and royalties (see BioCentury, Jan. 8, 2001). ...