Morphotek signs R&D deal with uni on tumor hypoxia

Morphotek, a US subsidiary of Japanese drugmaker Eisai, has signed a Sponsored Research Agreement with the University of Pennsylvania to fund  research for the development of therapeutic antibody candidates  targeting an antigen associated with hypoxic regions in tumors.

Hypoxia is a condition in which suboptimal oxygen concentrations exist  in tissues. Studies have also shown that tumor hypoxia is associated  with a more malignant phenotype and poor survival in patients suffering  from various solid tumors. To survive under hypoxic conditions, tumor  cells produce hypoxia-induced factors at levels that are not typically  found in normal tissues.