German biotech company MorphoSys has gained approval in the Netherlands to start testing a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis on humans.

The firm has received a manufacturing license from the German state of Bavaria to commission the production of MOR103, necessary for the Dutch drug trials.

Composed of genetically engineered antibodies, MOR103 helps to suppress proteins linked to inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis.

MOR103 is a fully human HuCAL antibody directed against GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor).

The phase 1 trial will be a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-ascending dose trial conducted in healthy volunteers.

In a statement MorphoSys said the study would evaluate the safety and tolerability as well as pharmacokinetics of escalating doses of MOR103.

"We are very pleased to see our first proprietary drug candidate advance quickly into the clinic," Dr Marlies Sproll, chief scientific officer for the company stated.

MorphoSys currently owns a repository of about 15 billion antibodies, used by drug companies including Pfizer and Novartis AG as research tools.

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