Brussels and Mechelen, Belgium, 30 April 2013 - Today NYSE Liffe, the Europe-based derivatives business of NYSE Euronext (NYX), added options on the shares of Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG), a clinical stage biotech company focused on developing novel medicines, to its highly successful range of equity option classes. The options are available on the Brussels derivatives market of NYSE Liffe under the ticker GLS.
Vincent Van Dessel, CEO of NYSE Euronext Brussels commented: "We are pleased to announce the listing of options on Galapagos, a successful Belgian company and a great example of our leading role in the biotech industry niche. This listing will further enhance the visibility of the company."
Ade Cordell, Executive Director, Head of Equity Derivatives added: "We are delighted with the listing of this new option class on our Brussels market. With the addition of the Galapagos option class to our existing central order book contracts, we are offering our market participants a highly diversified set of liquid derivatives for their investment needs.
Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos, commented: "Listing of ordinary shares on NYSE Euronext has played an important role in the growth of Galapagos since the IPO in 2005. The listing of options on the shares of our company marks a further step in the company's development. We believe that this may offer shareholders an alternative financial instrument on the NYSE Liffe market, enhance the liquidity of our share, and increase the visibility of Galapagos in the financial markets."
These American-style options will expire on the third Friday of the expiry month and will have initial lifetimes of one to twelve months. Options on Galapagos are introduced under trading symbol GLS.
Each option represents 100 shares in Galapagos and will be centrally cleared via LCH.Clearnet SA. Liquidity in the options will be supported by All Options International B.V.. NYSE Liffe lists stock options (also known as individual equity options) on more than 200 leading European companies via the Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Paris central order books.
The introduction of the new option class on Galapagos is the second one on a Belgian biotech company. Galapagos is specialized in novel modes-of-action medicines, with a large pipeline of four clinical, seven pre-clinical, and 30 discovery small-molecule and antibody programs in cystic fibrosis, inflammation, antibiotics, metabolic disease, and other indications. The Galapagos Group, including fee-for-service companies BioFocus, Argenta and Fidelta, has around 800 employees and operates facilities in five countries, with global headquarters in Mechelen, Belgium.
To mark today's special occasion, Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos, rang the opening bell which denotes the opening of NYSE Euronext's European market, together with Vincent Van Dessel, CEO of NYSE Euronext Brussels.
About NYSE Euronext
NYSE Euronext (NYX) is a leading global operator of financial markets and provider of innovative trading technologies. The company's exchanges in Europe and the United States trade equities, futures, options, fixed-income and exchange-traded products. With approximately 8,000 listed issues (excluding European Structured Products), NYSE Euronext's equities markets - the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext, NYSE MKT, NYSE Alternext and NYSE Arca - represent one-third of the world's equities trading, the most liquidity of any global exchange group. NYSE Euronext also operates NYSE Liffe, one of the leading European derivatives businesses and the world's second-largest derivatives business by value of trading. The company offers comprehensive commercial technology, connectivity and market data products and services through NYSE Technologies. NYSE Euronext is in the S&P 500 index. For more information, please visit: http://www.nyx.com.
About Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is specialized in novel modes-of-action, with a large pipeline of four clinical, seven pre-clinical, and 30 discovery small-molecule and antibody programs in cystic fibrosis, inflammation, antibiotics, metabolic disease, and other indications.
GLPG0634 is an orally-available, selective inhibitor of JAK1 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and potentially other inflammatory diseases, about to enter Phase 2b studies. AbbVie and Galapagos signed a worldwide license agreement whereby AbbVie will be responsible for further development and commercialization after Phase 2b. Galapagos has another selective JAK1 inhibitor in Phase 2 in lupus and psoriasis, GSK2586184 (formerly GLPG0778, in-licensed by GlaxoSmithKline in 2012). GLPG0187 is a novel integrin receptor antagonist currently in a Phase 1b patient study in metastasis. GLPG0974 is the first inhibitor of FFA2 to be evaluated clinically for the treatment of IBD; this program is currently in a Proof of Concept Phase 2 study, with results expected early 2014.
The Galapagos Group, including fee-for-service companies BioFocus, Argenta and Fidelta, has around 800 employees and operates facilities in five countries, with global headquarters in Mechelen, Belgium. Further information at: www.glpg.com
CONTACT
NYSE Euronext
Jean-Yves Daxhelet
Tel.: +32 (0)2 213 13 03
E-mail: jean-yves.daxhelet@interelgroup.com
Galapagos
Elizabeth Goodwin, Director Investor Relations
Tel.: +31 6 2291 6240
E-mail: ir@glpg.com
This release may contain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "could," "stands to," 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 historic or 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.