IZB-alumnus MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; NASDAQ: MOR) announced on 5 February that it has entered into a Business Combination Agreement with Novartis based on Novartis’ intention to submit a voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding MorphoSys no-par value bearer shares at an offer price of € 68.00 per share in cash. As part of the Business Combination Agreement with Novartis, Novartis seeks to obtain exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize pelabresib, an investigational BET inhibitor, and tulmimetostat, an investigational next-generation dual inhibitor of EZH2 and EZH1, across all indications. Separately, MorphoSys entered into a Purchase Agreement to sell and transfer all rights worldwide related to tafasitamab to the biopharmaceutical company Incyte. Currently, MorphoSys partners with Incyte on the development and commercialization of tafasitamab. MorphoSys’ Management Board and Supervisory Board unanimously approved both agreements.

“Novartis shares our steadfast commitment to develop and deliver transformative medicines that address the dire needs of cancer patients. Pelabresib – the investigational therapy at the forefront of our promising oncology pipeline – has the potential to shift the treatment paradigm in myelofibrosis and further expand into other indications. Novartis will provide ample resources currently unavailable to MorphoSys as a standalone biotech company to help accelerate the development opportunities and maximize the commercialization potential of pelabresib at a greater speed and scale,” said Jean-Paul Kress, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys. “We are also pleased that Incyte will assume full responsibility of tafasitamab. Given the proposed acquisition by Novartis and our long-standing partnership with Incyte, we know Incyte is best positioned to drive tafasitamab’s future growth opportunities forward successfully and more efficiently on its own at this time. We believe these agreements are in the best interest of MorphoSys, our shareholders and cancer patients.”

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About MorphoSys
At MorphoSys, we are driven by our mission: More life for people with cancer. As a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, we develop and deliver innovative medicines, aspiring to redefine how cancer is treated. MorphoSys is headquartered in Planegg, Germany, and has its U.S. operations anchored in Boston, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit us at www.morphosys.com and follow us on Twitter at X and LinkedIn.