Roche announced that the Munich biotech company MorphoSys AG has generated and delivered several antibodies that bind selectively to a Roche target believed linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Roche initiated the collaboration with MorphoSys to develop human antibodies targeting a Roche Alzheimer's disease target in September 2000.

"A lead antibody derived from this achievement may prove to be a very promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Thomas von Rueden, Chief Scientific Officer, MorphoSys AG. "Moreover, we believe that these are the first fully human antibodies derived from a synthetic library to reach an Alzheimer's target in the brain."

"This is another breakthrough on our way to find novel disease-modifying and symptomatic treatments for one of the most important medical problems facing mankind," said Andrew Sleight, Head of CNS research at Roche. "The antibodies identified with MorphoSys' HuCAL™ technology represent a significant step towards the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with a new class of medicines."

Other Sources: Roche