Delta Lloyd acquires 5.4% of Galapagos

Mechelen, Belgium; 30 September 2008 - Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announced today that it has received a transparency notification from Delta Lloyd, disclosing that they hold a 5.4% interest in the share capital of Galapagos. Delta Lloyd Levensverzekeringen NV disclosed that they hold 1,145,000 shares in the share capital of Galapagos, as of 1 September 2008. This is the first notification Galapagos has received from Delta Lloyd Levensverzekeringen NV. Galapagos had 21,188,829 shares outstanding as of 1 September, 2008. "We are very pleased to welcome Delta Lloyd as a major institutional shareholder in Galapagos," said Onno van de Stolpe, CEO. "Delta Lloyd is a highly respected investor, and we are proud of their confidence in the long term potential of the Company." About Galapagos Galapagos (Euronext Brussels: GLPG; Euronext Amsterdam: GLPGA; OTC: GLPYY) is a drug discovery company with pre-clinical programs in bone and joint diseases and bone metastasis. Its BioFocus DPI division offers a full suite of target-to-drug discovery products and services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, encompassing target discovery and validation, screening and drug discovery through to delivery of pre-clinical candidates. BioFocus DPI also provides adenoviral reagents for rapid identification and validation of novel drug targets, compound libraries for drug screening as well as chemogenomics and ADMET database products to select targets and compounds. Galapagos currently employs about 500 people and operates facilities in six countries, with global headquarters in Mechelen, Belgium. More information about Galapagos and BioFocus DPI can be found at www.glpg.com and www.biofocusdpi.com. CONTACT Galapagos NV Onno van de Stolpe, CEO Tel: +31 6 2909 8028 ir@glpg.com This release may contain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "could," "stands to," and "continues," as well as similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which might cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Galapagos, or industry results, to be materially different from any historic or future results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. Galapagos expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation.