PRECOS and Argenta Extend Collaboration to Offer World Class Integrated Oncology Drug Discovery Services

NOTTINGHAM, UK, 22 March 2011 - Preclinical Oncology Services Limited

(PRECOS), a leading pre-clinical research and development service provider

with a specific focus on oncology, has extended its alliance with Argenta to

continue providing comprehensive oncology-focussed drug discovery services.

Argenta, a service division of Galapagos NV, provides fully integrated drug

discovery services to a range of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology

companies worldwide. The five-year extension of the alliance will allow both

companies to offer unrivalled expertise in cancer research to their

pharmaceutical clients.

As a world leader in the provision of pre-clinical research services for

oncology drug discovery, PRECOS offers unique advanced patient-relevant in

vivo models which closely reflect the clinical situation for each aspect of

cancer progression, encompassing pre-cancerous lesions, primary tumours and

metastasis. This ability to create cell lines from patient primary tissues

that "never see plastic" means that cell lines are not selected based on

their ability to survive in vitro, but on their true characteristics as

cancer cells.

Argenta can now incorporate PRECOS' specialist in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo

cancer models and exceptional scientific expertise into its integrated

oncology drug discovery service offering, from hit identification through

lead optimisation and in vivo "proof-of-concept" to clinical candidate

selection. The breadth and depth of the two companies' combined capabilities

and expertise in oncology research are unique to the industry.

"Argenta has an excellent reputation for providing first class contract drug

discovery services to the global pharmaceutical industry; especially in

oncology," comments Professor Sue Watson, Chief Scientific Officer, PRECOS.

"We are looking forward to working with Argenta across a number of ongoing

cancer-focussed contract research programmes, in addition to various major

projects currently in the pipeline. This agreement further demonstrates our

business growth and commitment to providing innovative drug discovery

services."

Dr. John Montana, Managing Director of Argenta added, "PRECOS is a world

leader in oncology preclinical research services.  Through this alliance our

pharmaceutical clients are able to benefit from seamless access to PRECOS'

models and scientists. We are excited to have PRECOS as a key extension of

our team, working in partnership with our experienced oncology drug

discovery scientists."

For more information on PRECOS, please call, +44 (0)870 166 6234, email,

enquiries@precos.co.uk or visit www.precos.co.uk

For more information on Argenta, please contact John Montana on +44 (0)1279

645647, email john.montana@glpg.com or visit www.argentadiscovery.com

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About PRECOS Ltd

PRECOS Ltd. is a flexible pre-clinical research and development service

provider with a specific focus on oncology, with an established track record

in providing expert support to direct cancer drug development projects from

concept to clinic. PRECOS evaluates the innovative cancer medicines of the

future in patient-relevant models to ensure that pre-clinical efficacy

assessment is predictive of how the drug is likely to behave in clinical

trials with cancer patients. The PRECOS team of expert scientists assist in

the selection and execution of appropriate analytical systems by a staged

approach of in vitro studies, in vivo model development, subsequent in vivo

mechanistic and therapeutic evaluations, and post-study analyses, all

conveyed with added value through specialist scientific interpretation of

the data. PRECOS scientists apply cutting-edge technology and ideas to

individual research programmes and delivers a flexible, tailored approach to

all research objectives, whether a one-off service or a complete research

programme.

PRECOS, an acronym of Pre-Clinical Oncology Services, was officially

launched as a specialist business unit of the University of Nottingham (UK)

in 2004. PRECOS evolved from the research expertise of the Division of

Pre-clinical Oncology (formerly Academic Unit of Cancer Studies), which had

successful collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the

UK, EU, US and Japan for over a decade. For further information:

www.precos.co.uk

About Argenta

Argenta's contract research, which includes expertise in medicinal

chemistry, computer-aided drug discovery, in vitro biology, analytics, in

vivo pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and world-leading respiratory models,

has a strong reputation for scientific excellence.  Argenta is a service

division of Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) and employs over 140 people in the

UK with its main operations in Harlow.  More info at:

www.argentadiscovery.com

For further press information please contact: Sarah Evans - The Scott

Partnership, on + 44 1477 539 539 or precos@scottpr.com