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Ono and Galapagos subsidiary BioFocus sign an additional target discovery agreement in the field of allergic disease

30/05/2012

Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4528) announced today that they have signed an additional collaboration agreement focused on discovering novel targets in the field of allergic diseases including atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma. In the new agreement, Galapagos' service division BioFocus will use its SilenceSelect® platform to deliver validated targets to Ono. Ono aims to find modulators for these targets and generate novel drug candidates. Financial details were undisclosed.

"We are delighted with the success of our relationship with Ono," said Dr Chris Newton, SVP Galapagos Services and Managing Director BioFocus. "The start of a new collaboration one year after the first one is testament to our target discovery platform and the strength of our partnership."

Kazuhito Kawabata, Ph.D., Member of the Board of Directors, Executive Officer and Executive Director, Discovery and Research of Ono commented: "This new project builds upon a novel human primary cell-based assay developed by BioFocus in the field of allergic diseases, an area with significant unmet medical needs. We are excited to apply BioFocus' target discovery platform to discover and validate novel drug targets."

About Ono

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is an R&D-oriented pharmaceutical company specialized in creating innovative medicines for the treatment of various indications with unmet medical need at the frontline of healthcare. The Company focuses on drug discovery leads that are high in certainty and globally-competitive, promoting alliances with biopharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe as well as research collaborations with universities and other research institutions. Ono's drug discovery efforts focus on the therapeutic application of bioactive lipids and enzyme inhibitors in the areas of inflammation, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and CNS disorders. The Company's strategic partnerships are not solely directed towards the discovery of new drug candidates, but also include international in-licensing agreements to strengthen Ono's ever-expanding development pipeline. Ono already manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of prescription pharmaceuticals targeting a wide range of indications such as Alzheimer's disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, chemotherapy-induced nausea and bronchial asthma. Ono is a firmly established pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Osaka, Japan and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since 1963.

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 GLPG0634, as well as one of the largest pipelines in biotech, with four programs in development and over 50 discovery programs. The Galapagos Group has about 800 employees and operates facilities in six countries, with global headquarters in Mechelen, Belgium. More info at: www.glpg.com

About BioFocus

BioFocus provides integrated drug discovery that delivers pre-clinical drug candidates in all therapeutic areas with strong capability in neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases and with a growing track record of delivering candidates against rare and neglected diseases. BioFocus has advanced and comprehensive drug discovery capabilities that are applied to client projects to deliver targets, hits, leads and candidate pre-clinical drugs. The company employs 250 exceptionally qualified and industry experienced scientists at its three research centers in the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1997, BioFocus has striven to produce high quality data for its clients and this quality is assured by ISO9001 qualification validated by regular, independent inspection of all BioFocus research centers.

Source: Galapagos