Incyte has acquired sole worldwide rights to tafasitamab, a humanised Fc-modified CD19-targeting immunotherapy, through an asset purchase agreement with MorphoSys.

The deal grants Incyte complete control of the development and commercialisation of tafasitamab worldwide.

MorphoSys is entitled to receive a one-time payment of $25m from Incyte.

The arrangement supersedes a previous collaboration between the two companies entered in 2020, which involved shared responsibilities for tafasitamab in the US.

Incyte will now independently manage all marketing and clinical development activities and MorphoSys will receive no further milestone payments, profit splits or royalties.

Tafasitamab is marketed as Monjuvi in the US and as Minjuvi elsewhere in the world. It is currently approved for adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

The drug is also undergoing clinical trials for other indications, including first-line DLBCL, relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma.

Originally licensed from Xencor in 2010, tafasitamab incorporates an XmAb-engineered Fc domain, enhancing its ability to induce B-cell lysis through immune effector mechanisms. XmAb is a trademark of Xencor.

In the US, Monjuvi is approved in combination with lenalidomide for specific DLBCL patients not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

In Europe, Minjuvi has received conditional marketing authorisation for similar patient groups.

Ongoing combination trials continue to explore tafasitamab's potential to treat B-cell malignancies, although its efficacy and safety in these investigational indications have yet to be confirmed in trials.

Incyte CEO Hervé Hoppenot stated: “This new agreement with MorphoSys provides Incyte with exclusive global rights to tafasitamab and full control over its development and commercialisation, allowing us to realise significant operating efficiencies and cost synergies.”