Galapagos
extends drug discovery collaboration with Lilly in nuclear
hormone receptor research
Mechelen,
Belgium; 14 January 2008 – Galapagos NV (Euronext
& LSE: GLPG) announced today that its service division
BioFocus DPI has extended its drug discovery agreement with
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) until end 2008. Under the
terms of the agreement, BioFocus DPI will screen certain
compounds as provided by Lilly against certain selected
assays in quarterly screening regimes to identify active
compounds and provide selectivity information to Lilly for
Lilly’s nuclear hormone receptor research program.
Total contract extension value for Galapagos is expected
to exceed $1.2 million.
The
agreement extension announced today builds on the successful
collaboration begun in March 2005. BioFocus DPI has been
working with Lilly on discovering new compounds that target
nuclear hormone receptors, a class of proteins that, when
bound to specific sequences of DNA, serve as on-off switches
for controlling the development and differentiation of skin,
bone, and behavioral centers in the brain, as well as the
continual regulation of reproductive tissues. With this
agreement, Lilly secures continued access to BioFocus DPI’s
screening and biology expertise to discover compounds which
“hit” these nuclear hormone receptors.
The
extension agreement announced today is unrelated to the
major collaboration with Lilly in osteoporosis that Galapagos
announced on 19 December 2007, in which Galapagos’
drug discovery division will be responsible for the development
of novel osteoporosis drug candidates potentially through
to phase IIa clinical Proof of Concept.
“We
are pleased to progress our relationship with Lilly, also
as a service provider in drug discovery,” said Onno
van de Stolpe, Chief Executive Officer of Galapagos. “This
extension further demonstrates the ability of BioFocus DPI
to build upon its success with existing big pharma relationships.”
About
Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext Brussels, GLPG; Euronext Amsterdam,
GLPGA; London AiM: GLPG) is a drug discovery company with
pre-clinical programs in bone and joint diseases and cachexia.
Its division BioFocus DPI offers a full suite of target-to-drug
discovery products and services to pharmaceutical and biotech
companies, encompassing target discovery and validation,
screening and drug discovery through to delivery of pre-clinical
candidates. BioFocus DPI also provides adenoviral reagents
for rapid identification and validation of novel drug targets,
compound libraries for drug screening as well as chemogenomics
and ADMET database products to select targets and compounds.
Galapagos currently employs 460 people and operates facilities
in seven countries, with global headquarters in Mechelen,
Belgium. More information about Galapagos and BioFocus DPI
can be found at www.glpg.com
and www.biofocusdpi.com.
CONTACT
Galapagos
NV
Onno van de Stolpe, CEO
Tel: +31 6 2909 8028
ir@glpg.com
This
release may contain forward-looking statements, including,
without limitation, statements containing the words “believes,”
“anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,”
“plans,” “seeks,” “estimates,”
“may,” “will,” “could,”
“stands to,” and “continues,” as
well as similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements
may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which might cause the actual results, financial
condition, performance or achievements of Galapagos, or
industry results, to be materially different from any historic
or future results, financial conditions, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised
not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date of publication of this document. Galapagos
expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements in this document to reflect any change in its
expectations with regard thereto or any change in events,
conditions or circumstances on which any such statement
is based, unless required by law or regulation.