Roche’s Genentech unit extends partnership with Galapagos

Roche's Genentech division has extended its integrated contract drug discovery agreement with the biotechnology company Galapagos.

Under the terms of the new arrangement, Genentech will work to discover new chemical entities against a range of targets, utilising specialist expertise and technology from Galapagos' service division Argenta.

It will also see Genentech continuing to place projects directly into BioFocus, Galapagos' other service division, to take advantage of integrated medicinal chemistry, in vitro biology and ADME services.

The total potential value of this contract extension is 21.5 million pounds and continues a partnership that has now been ongoing since December 2005.

Dr Chris Newton, senior vice-president of services at Galapagos, said this "speaks to the complementary expertise and technological capabilities that Argenta and BioFocus possess".

Last month, Roche and Genentech announced positive new data from a clinical study of a new combination breast cancer therapy involving pertuzumab and Herceptin.