GLPG0259 - Galapagos reports on first human trial of new candidate drug for RA

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Galapagos reports on first human trial of new candidate drug for rheumatoid

arthritis

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Drug discovery and development company Galapagos NV reported on Thursday the

successful completion its first-in-human trial of the novel candidate drug

GLPG0259 for rheumatoid arthritis. The Belgian company said that the

candidate drug showed good safety in the 34 healthy volunteers and an

excellent pharmacokinetic profile so far, which supports once-daily oral

dosing.

GLPG0259 is a novel mechanism-of-action inhibitor of the protein kinase

MAPKAPK5, which plays a role in inflammation and in the breakdown of

collagen in human cartilage. It inhibits MAPKAPK5 in the human cell and

represents a new approach for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,

according to Galapagos.

Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos, said that Phase I trials for GLPG0259

are expected to be completed by the end of 2009 and preparations are being

made to start a Phase IIa study in 2010, in order to assess the efficacy of

the candidate drug in treating rheumatoid arthritis patients.