AbbVie to pay $50 million to expand GLPG0634 deal with Galapagos to Crohn's disease

US drugmaker AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) says it is extending its deal with Belgium-based Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG) on their GLPG0634 clinical development collaboration to include Crohn's disease. Galapagos will fund and complete a Phase II program in Crohn's disease, which is designed to facilitate rapid progression into Phase III.

On the successful completion of the study, expected in second-quarter 2015, AbbVie will pay Galapagos $50 million. The terms of the collaboration extension are in addition to previously agreed upon financial terms. AbbVie will be responsible for funding and performing clinical development beyond Phase II, and completing regulatory and commercialization activities.

Galapagos will start an innovative 20-week, Phase IIa/ study with GLPG0634 in 180 patients suffering from Crohn's disease by early 2014. The study will measure both induction of disease remission and early maintenance of its beneficial effects in Crohn's disease, and is expected to read out top-line results in second-quarter 2015. This Phase II study in Crohn's disease will be performed in parallel with the Phase IIb study in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).