Johnson & Johnson Innovation enter over 10 partnerships to further its health ambitions

Johnson & Johnson Innovation have announced 15 new partnerships which will support the development of new technologies and products across a number of fields and cater towards the growth of consumer healthcare.

“At Johnson & Johnson Innovation, we have a collaborative approach to partnering and tailor each deal to the needs of the company and its technology so we can accelerate the best science to solve today’s healthcare challenges,” commented Robert G. Urban, PhD., Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC.

“Our approach to external innovation has been incredibly fruitful, as we established more than 60 significant new strategic relationships in 2017.”

With ambitions to address ongoing healthcare challenges and improve the quality of life for patients on a global scale, the deals will explore the utilisation of artificial intelligence within fields such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancers and various disorders.

Neurology

Johnson & Johnson Innovation aim to support the University of Pennsylvania within a new Gene Therapy Program to develop treatments to tackle the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Its collaboration with the Northern California Institute for Research and Education and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the company will also be behind the study of the health of the brain, embedding new technologies to support ongoing developments.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation will further work to treat diseases of the central and enteric nervous systems, and has participated in the Series B financing of XW Laboratories Inc.

See also

• The Australian Medical Association rekindles the debate for a sugar tax
• The US 2.3% medical devices tax is reinstated, impacting the medical manufacturing industry
• A new report by the Focus Clinic showcases the healthcare expenditure of countries worldwide

Oncology

Investing in oncology is an area of which Johnson & Johnson Innovation are looking at with increased interest. Its collaboration with the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT will see the companies conduct research aimed at eradicating lung cancer.

To support this, the company has also extended its collaboration with Queensland University of Technology (QUT), alongside Janssen Cilag Pty Ltd to create a saliva-based diagnostic for early detection of throat cancers.

Furthermore, both Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV have formed a collaboration with MiRXES Pte Ltd to develop a novel lung cancer diagnostic test to improve the detection of early-stage disease.

Ophthalmology

Eye-related diseases and long-term conditions such as myopia are on the rise. Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s partnership with Queensland University of Technology will further the company’s research and development efforts to slow the progression of the condition through creating contact lenses able to support this goal.

Johnson & Johnson Vision, through its operating company Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., has formed a collaboration with Narayana Nethralaya Foundation and Medical Research Foundation to develop diagnostic tools which can identify a person’s unique vision-care needs to provide personalised, tailored solutions to each patient options.

Finally, the company are working with the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute to set up co-funding agreements for projects in lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, eye health and digital health initiatives. This program will provide co-funding and mentoring to one or more research programs undertaken by public sector participants and start-up companies that meet the requisite factors and are jointly selected by the program founders.