Galapagos receives €1.6 million IWT grant for hepatitis B program
February 11 2015 - 1:31AM
Mechelen,
Belgium; 11 February 2015 - Galapagos NV (Euronext:
GLPG) announces that the Flemish Agency for Innovation
through Science and Technology (IWT) has awarded a €1.6 million
grant to support the development of new antiviral therapies against
hepatitis B, in a collaboration project with Prof. Johan Neyts of
the Rega Institute of the University of Leuven and Prof. Stephan
Urban of the University Hospital in Heidelberg.
The goal of the project is to
identify novel compounds and targets with the potential to cure
chronic hepatitis B infection, allowing patients to come off
current life-long therapy. Research will focus on compounds
against viral protein targets and on inhibitors of host cell
proteins. Galapagos will use its proprietary target and drug
discovery platform to identify novel modes of action and screen for
candidate drugs. The Rega and Heidelberg sites will
contribute to the development of assays, perform analysis of the
mechanism of action of drug candidates, and bring in expertise of
the virus and its life cycle to accelerate the progression of drug
development.
"Chronic hepatitis B is a disease
area with significant unmet medical need, and where Galapagos and
its academic partners can bring unique expertise to bear on finding
new therapies," said Dr Piet Wigerinck, Chief Scientific Officer of
Galapagos.
"It would be an enormous advance if patients could
be cured of their chronic HBV infection" said Prof. Johan Neyts,
virologist at the University of Leuven.
About chronic
hepatitis B
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of the Hepadnavirus family of
small DNA viruses, which are adapted to infect specifically the
livers of different species. In adults HBV infections are typically
acute and self-resolving; however in 5-10% of cases they can become
chronic. In children and infants this rate becomes
significantly higher (up to 90%). In chronic infection, the
virus establishes itself in the liver of the host and over time
leads to progressively more severe pathology, including eventually
cirrhosis, and, in a proportion of cases, hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC). The proven link between HBV and HCC makes the virus one of
the most significant known carcinogens.
The disease is a significant burden to world health, with
approximately 350 million chronic sufferers worldwide, and around
650,000 deaths per year attributed to the effects of chronic HBV
infection such as HCC. Treatments currently employed for HBV
include prophylactics such as vaccines to prevent infection or
therapeutics to treat established chronic infection. However, so
far no therapeutic vaccines have been developed, and drugs such as
nucleosides which are highly effective at reducing viral load in
patients do not result in functional cures in the majority of
cases, even after years of therapy. Interferon therapy can give
rise to functional cure in a small proportion of patients, however,
the treatment is poorly tolerated. Because of these issues new
treatments are required, and it is likely that combination
approaches like those taken with the hepatitis C virus will be key
to establish functional cures in HBV.
About
IWT
The agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (abbreviated as
IWT) is the government agency founded in 1991 by the Flemish
Government to support technological innovation projects in
Flanders. Each year IWT distributes about €300 million in
subsidies for innovation projects to companies, organizations,
research and educational institutions in Flanders. In
addition to financial support, IWT also assists companies by, for
instance helping them find the right information or the right
partners at home or abroad, providing assistance with the
preparation of projects for European programmes and with technology
transfer throughout Europe. IWT also has an important
coordination mandate aimed at promoting close cooperation among all
the actors involved in technological innovation in Flanders.
For more information, please visit http://www.iwt.be or call
+32 2 432 42 00.
About
Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is a clinical-stage
biotechnology company specialized in the discovery and development
of small molecule medicines with novel modes of action, with a
pipeline comprising three Phase 2 programs, two Phase 1 trials,
five pre-clinical studies, and 25 discovery small-molecule and
antibody programs in cystic fibrosis, inflammation, and other
indications. In the field of inflammation, AbbVie and
Galapagos signed a collaboration agreement for the development and
commercialization of GLPG0634. GLPG0634 is an
orally-available, selective inhibitor of JAK1 for the treatment of
rheumatoid arthritis and potentially other inflammatory diseases,
currently in Phase 2b studies in RA and in Phase 2 in Crohn's
disease. GLPG1205, a first-in-class inhibitor of
GPR84, is currently being tested in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept
trial in ulcerative colitis patients. GLPG1690 is a compound
that targets pulmonary diseases and is currently in a Phase 1
trial. AbbVie and Galapagos also signed a collaboration
agreement in cystic fibrosis to develop and commercialize molecules
that address mutations in the CFTR gene. Potentiator GLPG1837
is currently in a Phase 1 trial, and corrector GLPG2222 is at the
pre-clinical candidate stage. The Galapagos Group, including
fee-for-service subsidiary Fidelta, has approximately 400
employees, operating from its Mechelen, Belgium headquarters and
facilities in The Netherlands, France, and Croatia. Further
information at: www.glpg.com
CONTACT
Galapagos NV
Elizabeth Goodwin, Head of Corporate Communications &
IR
Tel: +31 6 2291 6240
ir@glpg.com
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