Galapagos, Janssen Dissolve Partnership On GLPG1205 For Ulcerative Colitis
By Cyndi Root
Galapagos NV and Janssen have decided not to move forward together in their joint development of GLPG1205. Galapagos announced the decision in a press release, stating that the agent is entering a Phase II study for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The company regains full rights to the GPR84 program including GLPG1205 and GLPG2196.
Galapagos and Janssen began collaborating in 2007 in a multi-target alliance to discover and develop treatments for inflammatory diseases. The two companies agreed to develop GLPG1205, with Galapagos being responsible for Phase 1 and Phase 2a studies. In June 2013, Galapagos initiated the Phase 1 trial and received a milestone payment from Janssen. In October 2014, Galapagos announced results from the trial, stating that it was presenting data at Gastroenterology Week in Vienna. Galapagos states that GLPG1205 shows a good safety profile and targets specifically. It said that the Phase 1 study showed favorable properties in healthy volunteers and it was beginning to recruit patients for a Phase 2 trial.
GLPG1205 works as a selective antagonist of G-coupled protein receptor 84 (GPR84), which plays a key role in inflammation and pathology. GPR84 is a free fatty acid protein that Galapagos identified using its proprietary target discovery platform. Investigators found that GPR84 is over-expressed in inflammatory disease patients and GPR84 inhibition prevents neutrophil and macrophage chemotaxis.
About Galapagos
Galapagos was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Belgium. The company began as a joint venture between Crucell and Tibotec and focused on internal discovery along with service activities. The company raised its funding from private and public offerings and received an investment from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 2007. Galapagos acquired the French company ProSkelia in 2006, adding R&D operations and products for musculoskeletal diseases. In 2010, Galapagos acquired GSK’s Zagreb research operations, which it renamed Fidelta and repurposed it for contract research and services. Galapagos focuses on research partnerships like the recently dissolved one with Janssen. Sharing the development risks has allowed Galapagos to build a pipeline of 30 candidates.