AbbVie and Galapagos to trial new drug against Crohn’s disease

AbbVie is expanding their collaborative research with Galapagos into a promising new drug to assess whether the compound can aid Crohn's disease sufferers.

The companies will work together to evaluate the orally-available novel Janus kinase inhibitor to determine whether it can be used to address signs and symptoms of this serious inflammatory autoimmune disease of the gastrointestinal tract.

Galapagos is tol fund and complete a phase II programme involving 180 patients, which will begin in early 2014 with the aim of rapidly progressing the drug to phase III development as soon as possible.

Dr Scott Brun, vice-president for pharmaceutical development at AbbVie, said: "Our experience within gastroenterology, combined with a novel alternative treatment for this disease, may provide a greater benefit to patients in the future."

This comes after AbbVie announced earlier this week that it will be collaborating with Alvine Pharmaceuticals to develop ALV003, a promising investigational oral therapy for coeliac disease.