MECHELEN, BELGIUM -- (Marketwire) -- 04/21/09 -- Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announces today that it has initiated an integrated drug discovery collaboration with Opsona Therapeutics (Dublin, Ireland). Under the terms of the agreement, Galapagos' service division BioFocus DPI will perform biology, medicinal chemistry and ADME/PK services for an Opsona drug discovery program. Opsona will make research payments to BioFocus DPI and fund the work of 4 to 5 BioFocus DPI scientists in 2009.

"We are pleased to add Opsona Therapeutics, an emerging biotech with a promising pipeline and a successful follow-on financing round, to the growing list of BioFocus DPI customers," said Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos. "BioFocus DPI continues to attract top biotech, pharma and not-for-profit organizations as partners, resulting in one of the most well-rounded client bases in the business."

About Galapagos and BioFocus DPI

Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG; OTC: GLPYY) is a drug discovery and development company with programs in bone and joint diseases, bone metastasis, cachexia, anti-infectives and metabolic diseases. Its division BioFocus DPI offers a full suite of target-to-drug discovery products and services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies as well as not-for-profit organizations, encompassing target discovery and validation, screening and drug discovery through to delivery of pre-clinical candidates. BioFocus DPI also provides adenoviral reagents for rapid identification and validation of novel drug targets, compound libraries for drug screening as well as ADMET products to select compounds. Galapagos currently employs 480 people and operates facilities in six countries, with global headquarters in Mechelen, Belgium. More info at www.glpg.com and www.biofocusdpi.com.

CONTACTS
Galapagos NV
Onno van de Stolpe, CEO
Tel: +31 6 2909 8028
ir@glpg.com

This release may contain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "could," "stands to," and "continues," as well as similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which might cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Galapagos, or industry results, to be materially different from any historic or future results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. Galapagos expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation.

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