BIOCITECH overhauled the 5,800M2 Galien building and installed state-of-the-art equipment in less than one year
Grand opening today at 10:30am with representatives from the CDC, Sanofi and the Seine-Saint-Denis department
Romainville, France, June 2, 2015 - BIOCITECH, the city complex for healthcare and biotechnology companies and Galapagos (Euronext & NASDAQ: GLPG), the Belgian biotech specialized in therapeutics based on novel, proprietary targets, today announce that Galapagos’ French subsidiary is moving into the fully refurbished Galien building. This is the result of a long-term lease covering 5,800 square meters, almost one-third of the space in the complex. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
This agreement comes at a time when few other European biotech companies are securing building space in France. BIOCITECH aims to secure a mix of different sized companies on site, with one-third large biotech, one-third mid-size businesses (up to 50 staff) and one-third start-ups.
Galapagos, which arrived in Romainville in 2006, aims to centralize its BIOCITECH city complex activities in a single building, relocating its 130 staff from their three current BIOCITECH sites into the refurbished Galien building. To meet the company’s specific needs, BIOCITECH overhauled the Galien building and upgraded its complete range of equipment. The work was completed in less than a year, showing BIOCITECH’s expertise and fast response in tailoring premises to the needs of growing businesses. Galapagos will benefit from a wide range of adapted services from chemistry and biology laboratories (including P2) to pre-clinical facilities and offices.
“This move shows our trust in BIOCITECH’s ability to foster growth and innovation,” said Pierre Deprez, Galapagos discovery site head. “This fully refurbished building with one floor dedicated to chemistry and two floors dedicated to biology fulfills Galapagos’ needs well. All colleagues working in the same building will enhance team interactions. This new building is a fantastic tool to support Galapagos’ drug discovery effort.”
”We value the contribution of our team in France,” added Onno Van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos. “We are pleased to gain access to a high quality and effective new research environment for our R&D efforts in Romainville.”
“We are delighted to invest in a series of upgrades on the Galien building. The long-term commitment shown by Galapagos will help us to strengthen the range of our services within the park. It also helps to secure the long-term future of the park,” said Jean-François Boussard, president of BIOCITECH. “The new lease validates our business model in terms of pricing; it also shows how we proactively respond to the needs of our residents.”
About Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext & NASDAQ: GLPG) is aclinical stage biotechnology company specialized in the discovery and development of small molecule medicines with novel modes of action. It has a pipeline comprising three Phase 2 programs, two Phase 1 trials, five pre-clinical studies and 20 discovery small-molecule and antibody programs in cystic fibrosis, inflammation and other indications. In the field of inflammation, AbbVie and Galapagos signed a collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of Filgotinib. Filgotinib is an orally-available, selective inhibitor of JAK1 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and potentially other inflammatory diseases, currently in Phase 2B studies in RA and in Phase 2 in Crohn’s disease. Galapagos reported good activity and a favorable safety profile at 12 weeks in both the DARWIN 1 and 2 trials in RA. AbbVie and Galapagos also signed a collaboration agreement in cystic fibrosis to develop and commercialize molecules that address mutations in the CFTR gene. Potentiator GLPG1837 is currently in a Phase 1 trial, and corrector GLPG2222 is at the pre-clinical candidate stage. GLPG1205, a first in class inhibitor of GPR84 and fully-owned by Galapagos, is currently being tested in a Phase 2 proof of concept trial in ulcerative colitis patients. GLPG1690, a fully proprietary, first-in-class inhibitor of autotaxin, has shown favorable safety in a Phase 1 trial and is expected to enter Phase 2 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The Galapagos Group, including fee-for- service subsidiary Fidelta, has approximately 400 employees, operating from its Mechelen, Belgium headquarters and facilities in The Netherlands, France and Croatia.
Further informationat: www.glpg.com
About BIOCITECH
BIOCITECH is a city complex for healthcare and biotechnology companies. Located at the edge of Paris, BIOCITECH fosters business innovation and growth (plug&grow) and provides a complete range of services to residents from inception through to business maturity (plug&live).
BIOCITECH’s package includes real estate, scientific, technical and communal services that support entrepreneurial development. BIOCITECH is ICPE certified (Equipment Certified to Protect the Environment) and provides entrepreneurs with secure premises of a high technological standard.
BIOCITECH generates strong synergies and numerous collaborations for resident firms that are at the forefront of innovation. BIOCITECH is a key element in theMedicen Paris region’s world-class competitiveness hub for health and new therapies. It also belongs to the Cap Digital and Systematic clusters.
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