Breakthrough Therapies & Innovative Models for Kidney Diseases

Galapagos is a commercial-stage biotechnology company, specialized in the discovery and development of small molecule medicines with novel modes of action. Galapagos is seeking research focused on kidney diseases such as chronic kidney diseases including polycystic kidney disease (PCKD), diabetic kidney disease and Alport syndrome.

Targets and Therapeutic Interventions

• Research focusing on novel MoA/pathways/targets involved in kidney diseases: Reducing tubular atrophy & interstitial inflammation and fibrosis; Preserving glomerular filtration by making structure more resistant to stress & reducing scarring of glomerulus; Decreasing cyst formation; Ameliorating kidney weight and kidney function in the context of PCKD
• Compounds with first-in-class potential with cellular phenotypic activity and/or in vivo efficacy data.
• Drug modalities of interest: New chemical entities, including small molecules, PROTAC-based compounds and oligonucleotide silencing approaches

Research Disease Models

• Disease relevant in vitro assays (or coculture assays) using proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs), podocytes, parietal epithelial cells or mesangial cells
• PCKD-relevant in vitro organoid model using either PCKD patient material or iPSC derived cells with a mutated PKD1 or PKD2 gene

Out of Scope

• Targets/ therapeutic interventions focussing on control of glycemia and reducing hemodynamic pressure
• Targets with no competitive edge, MoA for which therapeutics are already on the market or in clinical development
• Therapeutic antibodies, gene therapies, cell therapies

Stage of Development: Opportunities from basic through to clinical phase I, with highest interest in opportunities with validation data available

Incentives for Academics: Research collaboration, licencing of assets, expansion of expertise in infancy, joint testing of models and methods

Submission Information: Submission of research overviews are encouraged through the submission form, which can be downloaded here