Morphotek®, Inc. Announces Initiation of MORAb-004 Phase 2 Study in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

EXTON, Pa., April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Inc., announced today that it has commenced a multi-center, Phase II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of MORAb-004 in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer that is refractory to all standard therapy. MORAb-004 is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to endosialin/tumor endothelial marker-1 (TEM-1).

The trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy and safety of single agent MORAb-004 plus best supportive care as determined by progression-free survival in patients with chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Secondary objectives include assessment of an overall survival benefit, identification of biomarkers to predict efficacy, and safety of single agent MORAb-004.

Morphotek expects to enroll up to 160 patients in this study, which is being conducted at clinical centers in the United States.  As part of the trial, patient tumors and plasma samples will be tested for endosialin/TEM-1 and/or proteins within its pathway to determine if the pattern of expression relates to or determines clinical effect. The goal of these investigations is to identify those patients who had a clinically meaningful response to MORAb-004.

"We are excited to have initiated this Phase II study of MORAb-004 in metastatic colorectal cancer," stated Christina Coughlin, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Director of Clinical Development at Morphotek. "New agents are needed for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.  The treatment of chemorefractory colorectal cancer remains an area of significant unmet medical need in the field of oncology. We are pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with several key experts in this disease setting."

MORAb-004 is a humanized monoclonal antibody specific for endosialin/TEM-1 protein.  The target is found to be expressed on the cell surface of cells called pericytes that are part of the tumor blood vessel architecture, as well as on fibroblast cells that are part of the tumor stroma.  Morphotek obtained exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize this antibody from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR).

Further information on the clinical study can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov, study number NCT01507545.

About Morphotek

Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of protein and antibody products through the use of a novel and proprietary gene evolution technology.  The technology has been successfully applied to a broad variety of cell lines and organisms to yield genetically diverse offspring that are suitable for pharmaceutical product development in the areas of antibody therapeutics, protein therapeutics, product manufacturing, drug target discovery, and improved output traits for commercial applications.  The company is currently focusing its platform on the development and manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infectious disease.  For more information, please visit www.morphotek.com. 

About Eisai Inc.

Eisai Inc. was established in 1995 and began marketing its first product in the United States in 1997. Since that time, Eisai Inc. has rapidly grown to become a fully integrated pharmaceutical business. Eisai's key areas of commercial focus are neurology and oncology. The company serves as the U.S. pharmaceutical operation of Eisai Co., Ltd., a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. 

Eisai has a global product creation organization that includes U.S.-based R&D facilities in Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as manufacturing facilities in Maryland and North Carolina. The company's areas of R&D focus include neuroscience; oncology; vascular, inflammatory and immunological reaction; and antibody-based programs. For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com/US.

SOURCE Morphotek(R), Inc.