MECHELEN, Belgium, and CINCINNATI, Oh., USA, Oct. 22, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Galapagos Genomics NV, the Belgian functional genomics company, and Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals (P&GP), a division of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today announced a collaboration in which P&GP will use Galapagos' adenovirus technology as a tool to validate the utility of genes as new drug targets.
Under the terms of the agreement, Galapagos will supply P&GP with adenoviral vectors containing human genes selected by P&GP researchers. Galapagos will construct the recombinant adenoviruses using its PhenoSelect(r) expression platform. P&GP will use these viruses to introduce and express newly discovered genes into human cells in vitro and to evaluate the function of the proteins encoded by the genes. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
"This very promising collaboration again emphasizes the competitive position of Galapagos in the functional genomics field and demonstrates the growing interest from the pharma and biotech industry in our proprietary adenoviral platform for target discovery and validation," said Onno van de Stolpe, Galapagos' CEO. "We are pleased to contribute to P&GP's selection of most viable drug targets in its research program. The data generated in this collaboration will enable P&GP to efficiently prioritize their collection of drug targets and maximize their drug discovery efforts."
"This collaboration adds to our armamentarium of methods to move quickly from genomic information to the invention of important new therapeutic agents across our areas of interest in drug development" said Dr. Gordon Hassing, Procter & Gamble Vice President, Research and Development, Global Pharmaceuticals.
The use of adenovirus technology has been demonstrated to be particularly useful in the functional characterization of genes. Although there are other approaches to identify genes or gene products that are associated with a particular disease, they do not establish a causal relationship between gene and function. Recombinant adenoviral technology is a cost-effective method that directly associates human genes with phenotypic changes such as morphology, motility, proliferation, differentiation, signal transduction, enzyme and transport activity.
Galapagos Genomics is a privately held company headquartered in Mechelen, Belgium. The Company was established in 1999 as a joint venture between Crucell NV (Nasdaq:CRXL) (Leiden, The Netherlands), and Tibotec-Virco NV (Mechelen, Belgium). The Company has built a functional genomics platform using arrayed adenoviruses containing human genes to identify drug targets and therapeutic genes. Galapagos technology is based on the patented PER.C6TM human cell line expression platform. Galapagos has an exclusive license to use PER.C6 for functional genomics applications. It's PhenoSelect libraries are in a format that enable high-throughput screening using cellular assays. The Company currently employs 68 people, including 18 PhD's, and occupies a 15,000 sq.f. research and production facility in Mechelen, with additional research laboratories in Leiden, The Netherlands. Galapagos' current partners include: Bayer AG, Incyte Genomics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, UCB Pharma, Organon (Akzo Nobel Pharma), Isotis, VIB and the Netherlands Cancer Institute. For more information, visit Galapagos' web site at www.galapagosgenomics.com.
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals is a part of Procter & Gamble Health Care, a division of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) - a $40 billion global leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of a broad range of consumer goods. In prescription drugs, P&GP is focusing on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health, as well as anti-infective therapies. Some of P&G's leading prescription products include Actonel(r) (risedronate sodium tablets), Didronel(r) (etidronate disodium), Asacol(r) (mesalamine) and Macrobid(r) (nitrofurantoin monohydrate/macrocrystals).
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