LEIDEN, Netherlands, April 12, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Galapagos, a genomics-based drug discovery company, has appointed Dr. Andre Hoekema as Managing Director of Galadeno, Galapagos' services unit. Galadeno has a proven track record in novel target discovery using adenoviral siRNA technologies, endorsed by top tier pharmaceutical companies. With this appointment, Galapagos further strengthens its management to lead the company in its next phase of development. "We are very pleased to have someone of Andre's caliber lead our services unit," commented Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos. "Andre brings to Galapagos a vast experience in the biotech industry and a solid background in business development. His invaluable expertise will be a tremendous asset to the Galapagos organization."
"I am excited to join Galapagos, given its strong commitment and innovative approach to target and drug discovery, and I am looking forward to applying my experience to further the growth of Galapagos," said Andre Hoekema.
Dr. Andre Hoekema (47) joins Galapagos from Invitrogen Corporation, where he served as the Managing Director of Corporate Development Europe. He brings 20 years of biotech experience from positions at Molecular Probes Europe (Managing Director), Crucell (Director of Business Development), DSM Life Sciences (R&D and Project Management) and Genentech (R&D). Hoekema has a PhD in Physics and Mathematics from Leiden University. His thesis focused on the invention of the binary vector system, a novel approach to plant genetic engineering. Andre is the inventor of over 20 series of patent applications and has authored more than 30 scientific articles.
About Galapagos
Galapagos is a genomics-based drug discovery company that has successfully discovered and validated novel targets in the bone and joint diseases osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as in asthma and Alzheimer's disease. Proprietary targets and compounds resulting from these programs are used for Galapagos' internal drug discovery programs, combined with selected out-licensing and partnering of projects during development. Galadeno, Galapagos' services unit, provides reagents and functional screens to leading pharmaceutical, biotech and nutraceutical companies for rapid identification and validation of novel drug targets.
Galapagos currently employs 66 people, including 16 PhDs, and occupies facilities in Mechelen, Belgium, and Leiden, The Netherlands. Partners include Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, GSK, Vertex and Wyeth. Galapagos was founded in 1999 by Crucell (Nasdaq:CRXL) (Euronext:CRXL) and Tibotec to exploit Crucell's unique PER.C6(R) technology for target discovery. The shareholders include Abingworth Management, AlpInvest Partners, Apax Partners, Burrill & Company, Crucell and Tibotec-Virco.
Further information on Galapagos can be found on www.glpg.com.