Galapagos begins Phase 1 trial for second generation Toledo compound

Cases of inflammatory diseases are expected to increase in the near future, which is a major concern for people across the world. Various pharmaceutical companies as well as medical research organizations are increasingly working towards finding novel solutions for these ailments owing to the growing demand for inflammatory disease treatments.    

Galapagos NV, a Belgo-Dutch pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mechelen, Belgium, reportedly announced that it has started Phase 1 trial with a second-generation compound, GLPG3970, against an undisclosed and novel inflammation target class that was discovered by the company itself.

The Toledo platform delivers tiny molecule inhibitors of the Toledo targets with selectivity profiles that are different. GLPG3970 is a more selective, second-generation compound whose preclinical activity has been observed already in several inflammatory indications, which includes inflammatory bowel diseases, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Phase 1 clinical trial is a placebo-controlled, double-blind study that would evaluate the tolerability, safety, efficacy, as well as PK/PD¹ of GLPG3970 single as well as multiple ascending doses in over 52 healthy male adults, and in the next step, in about 20 psoriasis patients.

The Phase 1 trial with the company’s first-gen Toledo compound, GLPG3312, was announced by the company in early 2019, with its outcomes expected early in 2020. The Phase 2 study in patients with ulcerative colitis is scheduled to begin in H1 2020.

Chief Scientific Officer at Galapagos, Dr. Piet Wigerinck stated that the company is thrilled with the quick progress of its second Toledo compound in the clinic. With the initiation of this trial, the company is on track to launch multiple concept studies’ proof in parallel with full potential next year, in a series of inflammatory diseases.

Wigerinck further added that Toledo program is capable of becoming a novel paradigm in inflammatory diseases treatment because of its unique action mechanism.

Earlier in August, Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Galapagos NV announced closing of global development and research collaboration which was inked on 14 July 2019. The agreement had received clearance under Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act 1976 from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission as well as Austrian Federal Competition Authority’s merger control approval.

The aforementioned agreement was inked to maximize innovation based on the development of new mode-of-action medicines.
 

Source credit: https://www.glpg.com/press-releases