Galapagos Subsidiary BioFocus Signs Agreement with Biogen Idec in Scleroderma
News Nov 18, 2013

Galapagos NV has announced that its subsidiary BioFocus has signed a 3-year collaboration agreement with Biogen Idec focused on the identification and validation of novel targets in scleroderma.
Galapagos' service division BioFocus will use its SilenceSelect® platform and unique human skin models to deliver new assays and identify disease-modifying targets in scleroderma to Biogen Idec.
Under the terms of the agreement, BioFocus will receive an upfront payment, FTE funding, and will be eligible to receive success payments for target discovery milestones to be delivered by BioFocus and development milestones achieved by Biogen Idec.
The total value of this collaboration to BioFocus could reach $31 million.
"We believe Galapagos has unique expertise with relevant human primary cells, positioning them well to find new targets for disease-modifying therapies against scleroderma," said Jo Viney, vice president of discovery sciences at Biogen Idec.
"We welcome Biogen Idec to our client base and look forward to applying our versatile target discovery engine to yet another new disease area with unmet medical need," added David Smith, CEO Galapagos Services.
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease characterized by hardening of the skin. Patients with diffuse scleroderma also experience hardening of the organs, which can be particularly disabling and also fatal.
Scleroderma is found worldwide, affecting 1 in 1000 in the United States, with women four times more likely than men to develop the disease.
The root causes of the disease are not well understood, and there are no disease-modifying treatments.
RELATED ARTICLES
Feisty Fetal T Cells Can Rebel In Utero
NewsPreterm labor, a common pregnancy complication, has long been a mystery to scientists. But a new study shows it may sometimes happen when the fetal immune system “wakes up” too early and begins to reject the mother, causing the uterus to start contracting.
READ MOREInvestigating Inflammasomes Implicated in Diabetic Retinopathy
NewsTeam of researchers employ mouse model exhibiting diabetic retinopathy symptoms that could lead to future translational research studies.
READ MOREFat Cells Seem to Remember Unhealthy Diet
NewsFat cells can be damaged in a short amount of time when they are exposed to the fatty acid palmitate or the hormone TNF-alpha through a fatty diet, a new study shows. The researchers hope this new knowledge may be used to develop new preventive strategies for diabetes.
READ MOREComments | 0 ADD COMMENT
To personalize the content you see on Technology Networks homepage, Log In or Subscribe for Free
LOGIN SUBSCRIBE FOR FREEWorld Congress on Advanced Structural and Molecular Biology 2018
Aug 22 - Aug 23, 2018
Asia Pacific Congress on Probiotics, Prebiotics and Nutrition
Oct 15 - Oct 16, 2018
CE in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industries: 20th Symposium on the Practical Applications for the Analysis of Proteins, Nucleotides & Small Molecules
Sep 09 - Sep 12, 2018
Login
You must be logged in to post a comment.