Mechelen, Belgium; 3 August 2006 - Galapagos NV (Euronext & LSE: GLPG), an integrated drug discovery company, announced today that its service division BioFocus DPI has entered a new drug discovery collaboration with AstraZeneca (LSE, NYSE, OMX: AZN), a global pharmaceutical leader. This collaboration marks the first time AstraZeneca has selected BioFocus DPI to provide drug discovery services. Under the terms of the agreement, BioFocus DPI will perform hit-to-lead medicinal chemistry services for AstraZeneca’s respiratory and inflammatory drug discovery programs. Total contract value for Galapagos is €650,000.

“We are very pleased with this initial contract to support AstraZeneca in developing novel drugs,” said Onno van de Stolpe, Chief Executive Officer of Galapagos. “Our world class medicinal chemistry expertise within BioFocus DPI will be of great use in this new collaboration and establish the basis for a potentially long term relationship.”

“We look forward to complementing our hit-to-lead programs with the medicinal chemistry expertise of BioFocus DPI. We chose to work with BioFocus DPI because of their reputation and ability in modern lead generation methodologies. The ingenuity of their scientists will bring great value to the project,” added Dr. Lars-Erik Arvidsson, Vice President R&D Lund, AstraZeneca. “We are very positive about our new collaboration, and through this agreement we expect to deliver promising leads for candidate drugs.”

About Galapagos

Galapagos is a publicly traded, genomics-based drug discovery company (Euronext Brussels, GLPG; Euronext Amsterdam, GLPGA, London AiM: GLPG) that has drug discovery programs based on proprietary, novel targets in bone and joint diseases - osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Galapagos offers a full suite of target-to-drug discovery products and services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies through its division BioFocus DPI, encompassing target discovery and drug discovery services through to delivery of pre-clinical candidates. In addition, BioFocus DPI provides adenoviral reagents for rapid identification and validation of novel drug targets and compound libraries for drug screening. Galapagos currently employs more than 330 people, including 144 PhDs, 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.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of €18.7 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. More information about AstraZeneca can be found at www.astrazeneca.com.

CONTACT:

Galapagos NV
Onno van de Stolpe, CEO
Tel: +31 6 290 980 28
ir@glpg.com

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “may”, “will” 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 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.