Mechelen, Belgium; 24 November 2014: Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG), a clinical stage biotech company focused on developing novel mode of action medicines, announces that recruitment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for the Darwin 2 study with GLPG0634 has been completed. The Darwin Phase 2B program is now fully recruited and will begin a series of topline readouts starting around end of the first quarter 2015.
Selective JAK1 inhibitor GLPG0634 has shown a best-in-class profile in two 4-week Phase 2A studies in RA patients. GLPG0634 is currently in a global Phase 2B program (DARWIN) of 875 RA patients and in a Phase 2 study in 180 patients with Crohn's disease.
"Completion of recruitment for the Darwin Phased 2B program puts us well on our way toward having Galapagos' first novel mode-of-action medicine tested in 1,000 patients," said Dr Piet Wigerinck, Chief Scientific Officer of Galapagos. "Recruitment for Darwin 2 accelerated to close out recruitment just weeks after DARWIN 1, putting us in position to have topline results from 12 weeks of treatment in Darwin 2 in the second quarter of 2015. With Darwin 2 we will learn the effect of once-daily treatment with GLPG0634 alone. Current standard treatment is a combination of methotrexate with TNFa biologics."
DARWIN 2 plans to enroll 280 patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who insufficiently respond to methotrexate. DARWIN 2 is a double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of three once-daily dose levels of GLPG0634 as monotherapy treatment. Topline results from 12 weeks are expected in April 2015, with complete 24 week data package expected in Q3 2015. AbbVie will base its licensing decision on the complete 24 week DARWIN 1 and 2 data packages from GLPG0634.
About Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is specialized in novel modes-of-action, with a pipeline comprising three Phase 2 studies, two Phase 1 studies, five pre-clinical, and 20 discovery small-molecule and antibody programs in cystic fibrosis, inflammation, antibiotics and metabolic disease. 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 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). AbbVie and Galapagos signed an agreement in cystic fibrosis to develop and commercialize molecules that address mutations in the CFTR gene. Potentiator GLPG1837 is expected to start Phase 1 in 2014. Galapagos also expects to nominate a pre-clinical candidate corrector before year end 2014. 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
Galapagos forward-looking statements
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.