MECHELEN, Belgium, April 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announces that Guillaume Jetten will resign as Chief Financial Officer of Galapagos, effective 1 May 2014. Laure Verhaegen, Vice President Finance, will act as interim CFO until a replacement has been recruited.
Guillaume Jetten joined Galapagos as CFO in June 2009. As CFO, Guillaume has played an important role in financings, corporate transactions, and daily financial management. With the recent sale of the service division to Charles River, he played an important role in the transition of the Company to now fully focus on the promising pipeline of clinical molecules and will be leaving Galapagos to pursue other interests, effective on 1 May 2014.
Laure Verhaegen, head of the finance team, will act as interim CFO. She joined Galapagos in May 2010 after more than 10 years in corporate finance, external audit and controlling in Belgium and Luxembourg. While working in Corporate Finance for Deloitte, she advised clients across multiple sectors during their strategic transactions, including mergers & acquisitions and project financing. Laure Verhaegen holds a master's degree in Business Engineering obtained at ICHEC Brussels Management School and a degree in Financial Analysis from the ABAF.
"Also on behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish to thank Guillaume for his valuable contribution to strengthening Galapagos into one of the leading biotechs in Europe. We wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors," added Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos.
About Galapagos
Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is specialized in novel modes-of-action, with a large pipeline comprising five Phase 2 studies (two led by GSK), one Phase 1 study, six pre-clinical, and 20 discovery small-molecule and antibody programs in cystic fibrosis, inflammation, antibiotics, metabolic disease, and other indications. In the field of inflammation, AbbVie and Galapagos signed a worldwide license agreement whereby AbbVie will be responsible for further development and commercialization of GLPG0634 after Phase 2B. GLPG0634 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 has another selective JAK1 inhibitor in Phase 2 in ulcerative colitis and psoriasis, GSK2586184 (formerly GLPG0778, in-licensed by GlaxoSmithKline in 2012). GLPG0974 is the first inhibitor of FFA2 to be evaluated clinically for the treatment of IBD; this program is currently in a Proof-of-Concept Phase 2 study. GLPG1205 is a first-in-class molecule that targets inflammatory disorders and has completed Phase 1. AbbVie and Galapagos signed an agreement in CF whereby they work collaboratively to develop and commercialize oral drugs that address two mutations in the CFTR gene, the G551D and F508del mutation. Potentiator GLPG1837 is at the pre-clinical candidate stage. Galapagos has 400 employees, operating from its Mechelen, Belgium headquarters and facilities in The Netherlands, France, and Croatia. Further information at: www.glpg.com
CONTACT
Galapagos NV
Onno van de Stolpe, CEO
Tel: +31 6 2909 8028
ir@glpg.com
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