Galapagos has been working for a while on a drug, called Filgotinib, against rheumatoid arthritis. But this drug candidate also appears to have other therapeutic properties. Galapagos is now evaluating the drug against Crohn’s disease in a phase I clinical trial with 175 patients. The study showed a significantly higher clinical remission rate in patients treated with Filgotinib versus patients receiving the placebo and it was shown to be well tolerated.
These good results are a real boost for Galapagos, as it means that this drug also might be effective in other inflammatory diseases. It strengthens the negotiation position of Galapagos. Initially, the biotech company had set up a partnership with AbbVie for ‘Filgotinib’, but that pharmaceutical company recently turned down the deal. Galapagos now might be able to enforce better conditions with another partner.
