Mechelen, Belgium
and Bristol, UK; 16 July 2010 – Galapagos NV (Euronext:
GLPG) and the University of Bristol today announced a new
drug discovery collaboration aimed at developing treatments
for chronic pain associated with diabetes (diabetic neuropathic
pain). Galapagos’ service division BioFocus will provide
hit-to-lead and lead optimization services for a Wellcome
Trust funded program at the University of Bristol. Total
contract value for Galapagos could exceed €3.3 million
in research fees over two years.
This work is supported by
a Seeding Drug Discovery Award from the Wellcome Trust,
to a team of researchers led by David Wynick, Professor
of Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol. The
project aims to develop a new analgesic drug based on the
protein galanin, a small protein that has been shown to
reduce neuropathic pain in a number of models of diseases,
including diabetes. In earlier studies, several compounds
from the BioFocus screening collection were shown to amplify
the therapeutic effect of galanin in vitro. In
the two-year collaboration announced today, BioFocus will
provide medicinal chemistry, biology and ADME/PK for this
research project, with the goal to optimize these molecules
for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain.
“This latest collaboration
with the University of Bristol is a prime example of BioFocus’
ability to deliver results and thereby retain partners.
Once again we see the BioFocus screening libraries deliver
promising hits that are of interest to the academic and
pharmaceutical communities,” said Onno van de Stolpe,
CEO of Galapagos. “We are pleased that the University
of Bristol has expanded and extended this successful relationship
into other strong areas of BioFocus expertise.”
“Molecules from the
BioFocus collection have shown promise in amplifying the
therapeutic properties of galanin in models of neuropathic
pain,” said Prof. David Wynick from the University
of Bristol. “In this new collaboration with BioFocus,
we aim to further optimize these molecules into potential
clinical candidates for the treatment of chronic pain associated
with diseases such as diabetes.”
Rick Davis, Business Development
Manager at the Wellcome Trust, commented “Existing
painkillers can prove largely ineffective against neuropathic
pain so we are pleased to support this project, which addresses
an area of huge unmet clinical need.”
About diabetic neuropathic pain
Diabetes is the most common cause of neuropathic pain, which
is often experienced as a burning or electrical pain. Existing
painkillers have proven largely ineffective in treating
diabetic neuropathic pain, which is believed to be caused
by damaged nerves as a result of exposure to toxins or inadequate
blood supply. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF)1
predicts that the population of diabetes sufferers will
increase from 285 million in 2010 to 438 million by 2030,
given the increasing levels of obesity.
1 IDF Diabetes Atlas 2009; http://www.diabetesatlas.org/content/diabetes-and-impaired-glucose-tolerance
About the University
of Bristol
The University of Bristol is one of the leading research
universities in the UK, having an excellent national and
international reputation in research, teaching and global
discovery. The University is committed to combining its
excellence in research and innovation with a vibrant enterprise
culture and is working with government, industry and other
partner organisations to encourage the growth of knowledge-based
business in South West England. More info at: www.bris.ac.uk
About the Wellcome
Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charity dedicated to achieving
extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It
supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and
the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support
includes public engagement, education and the application
of research to improve health. It is independent of both
political and commercial interests. More info at: www.wellcome.ac.uk
About BioFocus
BioFocus aims to expand its partners’ drug pipelines
by accelerating the gene-to-drug candidate discovery process.
This is achieved through a comprehensive discovery platform,
which includes target discovery in human primary cells,
focused as well as diverse compound libraries, in vitro
and cell-based screening, structural biology, medicinal
chemistry, ADME/PK services, supported by unique chemogenomic
and informatics tools, and compound library acquisition,
storage and distribution services. As a service division
of Galapagos, BioFocus has over 250 employees based in the
UK, the US and Switzerland. More info at: www.biofocus.com
About Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is a mid-size biotechnology
company specialized in the discovery and development of
small molecule and antibody therapies with novel modes-of-action.
The Company is progressing one of the largest pipelines
in biotech, with four clinical and over 50 small molecule
discovery/pre-clinical programs. Through risk/reward-sharing
alliances with GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Janssen Pharmaceutica,
Merck & Co., Roche and Servier, Galapagos is eligible
to receive €3.3 billion in downstream milestones, plus
royalties. Together with its BioFocus and Argenta service
operations, Galapagos has over 670 employees and operates
facilities in six countries, with global headquarters in
Mechelen, Belgium. More info at: www.glpg.com
CONTACTS
Galapagos NV
Kara Bortone, Associate Director Communications
Tel: +32 479 99 46 34
ir@glpg.com
University of Bristol
Aliya Mughal, Public Relations Office
Tel: +44 117 331 7033
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