Patent Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Genmab and Janssen in the United States Regarding DARZALEX®

On April 4, 2016 Genmab A/S (Nasdaq Copenhagen: GEN) reported that Morphosys apparently has filed a complaint at the US District Court of Delaware against Genmab and Genmab’s collaboration partner Janssen Biotech, Inc. for patent infringement under US patent no. 8,263,746 based on activities relating to manufacture, use and sale of DARZALEX (daratumumab) in the United States. The US patent relates to CD38 antibodies defined by functional features (Press release, Genmab, APR 4, 2016, View Source [SID:1234510380]).

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DARZALEX is approved in the US for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent, or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent and a marketing application has been submitted in the EU for daratumumab for use in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma by Janssen.

Janssen will in consultation with Genmab determine the appropriate action in response to the complaint.

About DARZALEX (daratumumab)
DARZALEX (daratumumab) injection for intravenous infusion is indicated in the United States for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent, or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent.1 DARZALEX is the first monoclonal antibody (mAb) to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat multiple myeloma. For more information, visit www.DARZALEX.com.

Daratumumab is a human IgG1k monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds with high affinity to the CD38 molecule, which is highly expressed on the surface of multiple myeloma cells. It is believed to induce rapid tumor cell death through programmed cell death, or apoptosis,1,2 and multiple immune-mediated mechanisms, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity,1,2 antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis3,4 and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.1,2 In addition, daratumumab therapy results in a reduction of immune-suppressive myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and subsets of regulatory T cells (Tregs) both of which express CD38. These reductions in MDSCs and Tregs were paralleled by increases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers in both the peripheral blood and bone marrow.1

Daratumumab is being developed by Janssen Biotech, Inc. under an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab from Genmab. Five Phase III clinical studies with daratumumab in relapsed and frontline settings are currently ongoing, and additional studies are ongoing or planned to assess its potential in other malignant and pre-malignant diseases on which CD38 is expressed, such as smoldering myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.