Galapagos NV, a global biotechnology company, has appointed the founding CEO of its new subsidiary and announced the search for a new CEO of Galapagos.

In line with its planned separation into two independent entities, Henry Gosebruch has been appointed as founding CEO of the Galapagos subsidiary, currently named XYZ SpinCo NV, which will be renamed in the Separation.

As previously disclosed, SpinCo will separate from Galapagos’ current operations and initially be funded with approximately €2.45 billion in cash and cash equivalents. SpinCo will be focused on building a pipeline of innovative medicines with demonstrated proof-of-concept and the potential to elevate standard-of-care for patients through one or more transformative transactions. In parallel, Galapagos will continue to advance its pipeline of potential best-in-class cell therapies in hematological and solid tumors, leveraging its foundational decentralized manufacturing platform.

About Henry Gosebruch

Gosebruch joins SpinCo with deep experience in M&A, business development, partnering and venture capital, and a strong track record of building new growth businesses, pursuing pipeline opportunities, prudent capital allocation and creating shareholder value.

He was most recently President and Chief Executive Officer at Neumora, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on redefining neuroscience drug development. He joined Neumora in July 2023, leading the company through its initial public offering (IPO) in September 2023 and advancing its capabilities and pipeline.

Prior to Neumora, Gosebruch was Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at AbbVie, where he was responsible for Corporate Strategy, Competitive Strategy & Insights, Business Development & Acquisitions, Search & Evaluation, Alliance Management, R&D decision support/portfolio analytics and AbbVie Ventures.

Prior to joining AbbVie in 2015, Gosebruch worked at J.P. Morgan for more than 20 years.

Gosebruch commented, “I am honored to take on the role of Founding CEO of SpinCo. I look forward to forming a world-class team and pursuing transformational opportunities in innovative medicines that can bring meaningful therapies to patients in need, while unlocking significant value for our shareholders.”

Dr. Stoffels to Step Down as CEO of Galapagos

Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Stoffels, Chair and CEO of Galapagos, will retire from his role as CEO upon appointment of a successor and remain as Non-Executive Chair of the Galapagos Board of Directors.

The Board will search for a successor CEO who will lead Galapagos into its next phase of growth and innovation as a focused cell therapy company.  The successor CEO is expected to be hired in the next 12 months.