Biotech firm Galapos cutting cell therapy division; Leiden site at risk
The Belgian biotech company Galapagos is closing its cell therapy division. This means that the company’s Leiden site, once a major center for cell therapy development, may disappear. The closure will affect around 365 Galapagos employees worldwide, including dozens in the Netherlands, NU.nl reports.
Galapagos CEO Henry Gosebruch spoke of a difficult but necessary decision, saying the company wants to focus its resources on “new medicines that are truly needed.”
The Leiden Galapagos site was used to develop innovative gene treatments for diseases that currently have few available treatments. The closure of the cell therapy division also puts Galapagos sites in Basel, Switzerland, Shanghai, China, and the United States at risk.
According to Galapagos, the closure follows a “thorough strategic review.” The company wants to invest its funds in other, more promising research projects. It planned to spin off the cell therapy division, but could not find a suitable buyer or investor.
