Incyte pays MorphoSys $25M for commercialization rights to Monjuvi

Incyte (INCY) announced it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with MorphoSys (MOR) which gives Incyte exclusive global rights for tafasitamab, a humanized Fc-modified CD19-targeting immunotherapy marketed in the U.S. as Monjuvi or tafasitamab-cxix and outside of the U.S. as Minjuvi or tafasitamab. “This new agreement with MorphoSys provides Incyte with exclusive global rights to tafasitamab and full control over its development and commercialization, allowing us to realize significant operating efficiencies and cost synergies,” said Herve Hoppenot, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. In the previous agreement, MorphoSys and Incyte were collaborating and sharing costs for the clinical development and commercialization of tafasitamab in the U.S.; Incyte had exclusive rights outside of the U.S. Under the terms of the new agreement, MorphoSys will receive a payment of $25M from Incyte and Incyte will gain global development and commercialization rights for tafasitamab. Incyte will now recognize revenue and cost for all U.S. commercialization and clinical development and MorphoSys will no longer be eligible to receive future milestone, profit split and royalty payments. The agreement is effective immediately. In addition to its approved indication, tafasitamab is being evaluated as a therapeutic option in ongoing pivotal trials for first-line DLBCL, relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma FL and relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma MZL .