Galapagos licenses HUB Organoid Technology for use in cystic fibrosis and IBD research

Galapagos has entered into a licensing agreement with the Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) foundation for use of Organoid Technology for preclinical research in cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Organoids are mini-organs grown in cell culture from biopsies taken from patients; these mini-organs faithfully recapitulate the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of diseased tissues. Organoids have proven to be valuable disease models for the high-throughput screening and validation of innovative medicines, bypassing limitations associated with cell-line and xenograft-based preclinical drug studies.

Organoid Technology will potentially accelerate Galapagos’ discovery and development of drugs

Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos, said, “The HUB’s Organoid Technology will add an exciting and cutting edge approach to Galapagos’ arsenal of research methods and potentially accelerate the discovery and development of our innovative drugs for cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease.”

“We are pleased that the HUB and Galapagos have entered into this license agreement”, said Dr. Hans Clevers, board member of the HUB. “This partnership underpins the unique contribution of Organoid Technology to the development of drugs for patients with unmet medical needs, including patients with cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease.”

The HUB is a not-for-profit organization founded by the Hubrecht Institute, KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. To find out more, please visit hub4organoids.eu.