Galapagos and Arthrogen sign drug discovery deal

Belgian drugmaker Galapagos NV says that, through its service division BioFocus, it has entered into a three-year discovery alliance with Dutch firm Arthogen BV. The collaboration will focus on the identification of novel targets for gene therapy applications in rheumatoid arthritis.

Under the terms of the deal, BioFocus will expand its SilenceSelect gene library and will carry out screening and validation of human target proteins. In return, Galapagos will recieve an upfront fee and is eligible for milestone payments to the value of 7.5 million euros ($9.1 million). The Belgian company is also entitled to royalty payments on eventual product sales.