Sarah Cannon Research Institute opens enrollment in Phase I clinical study with MORAb-066

Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Inc., announced today that the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee has opened enrollment in a Phase I clinical study with MORAb-066 in patients with advanced or metastatic breast, pancreatic, colorectal or non-small cell lung cancer (adenocarcinoma) malignancies. The open-label Phase I study will assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of MORAb-066 administered with weekly intravenous infusions.

MORAb-066 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets tissue factor (TF), which is a protein whose role under normal conditions is to support blood coagulation. In cancer, it has been shown that TF is a membrane-bound antigen expressed by tumor endothelial cells that is hypothesized to play a role in promoting tumor angiogenesis and growth.  Morphotek obtained exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize this antibody from Janssen Biotech, Inc.  

"We are excited to have initiated this Phase I study of MORAb-066," stated Nicholas Nicolaides, Ph.D., President and CEO of Morphotek. "New agents are needed for cancer treatment and our strategy of using collaborations with leading research institutions provides us opportunities to develop novel medicines that target disease-specific pathways."

"MORAb-066's target as an inhibitor of TF may eventually offer a new approach in our efforts to develop cancer treatments," said Johanna Bendell, M.D. director of Sarah Cannon's GI Cancer Research Program. "We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate in the evaluation of this novel agent."