Galapagos receives EU2.5 million IWT grant for antibiotic research
January 22 2015 - 1:36AM
Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announces that the
Flemish Agency for Innovation through Science and Technology (IWT)
has awarded a €2.5 million grant to support the development of
Galapagos' novel antibiotics in a collaboration project with Prof.
Goossens from the University of Antwerp (UA).
GLPG1492 ('1492) is a narrow spectrum antibiotic with a novel
mode-of-action against all Staphylococcus aureas strains, including
MRSA, the bacteria for which due to resistance, few treatment
options are available. Galapagos plans for '1492 to be dosed
in healthy volunteers (Phase 1) in 2015. '1492 has shown
excellent antibacterial efficacy, with broad coverage of all known
MRSA strains. The novel mode of action for '1492 can be
utilized as a platform for addressing gram positive and gram
negative bacteria that pose major public health threats, including
the ESKAPE pathogens. '1492 is fully proprietary to Galapagos.
Today's grant, awarded via the transformational medical research
(TGO) program, was for the project 'Partnering tiered
clinical Phase II anti-MRSA antibiotic with rapid diagnostic test
development,' in which Galapagos will collaborate with the
Laboratory of Medical Microbiology of UA. In this project,
innovative clinical research will be explored, allowing for more
efficient development of narrow spectrum antibiotics targeted at
combatting resistance. To further support the pathogenic focus,
rapid diagnostic test development will be set up. The UA will
perform basic research focusing on further understanding of
antibiotic resistance mechanisms.
"We appreciate the support of the IWT for our research," said Dr
Piet Wigerinck, Chief Scientific Officer of Galapagos. "There
is a large unmet medical need for small spectrum antibiotics
addressing MRSA and other major public health threats."
Herman Goossens, Head of the Microbiology laboratory of the UA,
commented: "By funding this Public Private Partnership between
Galapagos and the UA, we should be able to give fresh impetus to
the successful development of new drugs against multi-resistant
bugs that have already killed so many people worldwide."
About antibiotic resistance and MRSA
Hospital-treated infections of highly resistant bacteria pose a
major public health threat. Widespread use of broad spectrum
antibiotics addressing a wide variety of pathogens has led to
resistance to these treatments. When broad spectrum treatment
does not work, the patient is treated in the hospital with small
spectrum antibiotics directed specifically toward the pathogen
infecting the patient. Due to increasing resistance to broad
spectrum antibiotics, the drug market for key hospital-treated
infections is expected to increase from $3.3 billion in 2010 to
just over $4 billion in 2020 in the USA, the EU and Japan. In
particular, there is an urgent need to provide tools to prevent
MRSA to become a community acquired infection. Availability of
a novel drug that would be able to treat MRSA would be an added
value for the public health sector by being able to limit
hospitalization time as well the positive impact on the mortality
numbers and to avoid further spread.
About Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is specialized in novel
modes-of-action, with a large pipeline comprising three Phase 2
programs, two Phase 1 studies, five pre-clinical, and 25 discovery
small-molecule and antibody programs in cystic fibrosis,
inflammation, antibiotics, metabolic disease, and other
indications. In the field of inflammation, AbbVie and
Galapagos signed an 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. Galapagos has another selective JAK1 inhibitor,
GSK2586184 (formerly GLPG0778, in-licensed by GlaxoSmithKline in
2012). GLPG1205, a first-in-class inhibitor of GPR84, is
currently being tested in a Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept study in
ulcerative colitis patients. GLPG1690 is a first-in-class
compound that targets pulmonary diseases and is currently in a
Phase 1 study. AbbVie and Galapagos signed an agreement in
cystic fibrosis to develop and commercialize molecules that address
mutations in the CFTR gene. Potentiator GLPG1837 is currently
in Phase 1, and corrector GLPG2222 is at the pre-clinical candidate
stage. The Galapagos Group, including fee-for-service
subsidiary Fidelta, has around 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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HUG#1888743
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