Galapagos NV has reached a milestone in a Phase 1 study for cystic fibrosis, it is conducting with its partner AbbVie, as it started using potentiator GLP3067.
The company said it will receive $7.5 million for this achievement.
The aim of the Phase 1 study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of oral single and multiple ascending doses of GLPG0367, and of the combination of GLPG3067 and GLPG2222.
Triple combinations of CF compounds in the portfolio have consistently shown restoration of healthy activity levels in in vitro assays with human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells of patients with the F508del mutation. These combinations result in an increase in chloride transport compared to Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s Orkambi in HBE cells with the homozygous F508del mutation, Galapagos said.
“We continue to explore additional molecules to enrich our growing portfolio of cystic fibrosis drug candidates,” said Piet Wigerinck, Chief scientist at Galapagos.
“We plan to initiate multiple studies within our CF portfolio in the course of this year, as we get closer to our goal of initiating a patient evaluation of a triple combination therapy by mid-2017.”