Park News
16 January 2006
Galapagos Genomics NV Enters New Collaboration In Autoimmune Discovery Research
MECHELEN, BELGIUM--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 16, 2006 -- Mechelen, Belgium; 16 January 2006 - BioFocus, the service division of Galapagos (Euronext & LSE: GLPG), announced today a new three year collaboration in the field of autoimmune discovery research. Under the terms of the agreement, BioFocus will expand its SilenceSelect® si-RNA based gene collection with an additional gene set, develop a dedicated cellular assay in the field of autoimmune disease, and use this assay to run a target discovery screen. Further to the collaboration agreement, Galapagos will receive upfront fees and research and development funding and may receive milestone fees when certain drug discovery criteria are met. Should all criteria on a target be achieved, total potential contract value for Galapagos may exceed EUR 2 million.
"This collaboration capitalizes on Galapagos' know-how in the autoimmune field and the strength of its target discovery platform. We are delighted to be Boehringer Ingelheim's partner in this disease discovery program," said Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos. "In this new collaboration, Galapagos is committed to delivering novel drug targets as the basis for developing novel therapies for unmet medical needs in autoimmune disease."
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. Today there are more than 40 known human diseases classified as either definite or probable autoimmune diseases, affecting 5-7% of the population. Almost all autoimmune diseases appear without warning or apparent cause and most patients suffer from fatigue.