J&J Announces 15 New Collaborations

Published on: January 9, 2018

The company announced 15 new collaborations focused on addressing unmet medical needs, including using artificial intelligence in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, saliva testing for throat cancers, and using the microbiome to treat sleep disorders.

On Jan. 5, 2018, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Innovation announced 15 new collaborations focused on the development of novel solutions to impact healthcare, specifically in areas of high unmet medical need.

According to a company press release, Janssen, a J&J company, entered into a research deal with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program that will use adeno-associated virus (AAV)-vectors developed by the university and antibodies targeting Alzheimer’s disease developed by Janssen. The collaboration aims to use AAV viral delivery to express therapeutic antibodies that target the main pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Under the agreement, Janssen will have exclusive global rights to commercialize products developed under this agreement.

Janssen’s collaboration with Queensland University of Technology has been extended to develop a saliva-based diagnostic for early detection of throat cancers, which will aim to identify people who are at risk for throat cancers and intercept asymptomatic disease before invasive treatments are needed, according to J&J.

Also, Janssen Research & Development has established a research collaboration with Holobiome, a developer of microbiome therapeutics, to treat diseases of the central and enteric nervous systems. The collaboration will examine a consortium of bacteria that could be used to create a differentiated probiotic or over-the-counter offering that addresses sleeplessness.

“Our highest priority is to improve the health of people around the globe, and each collaboration announced today represents a unique opportunity to explore novel therapeutics, medical devices, and consumer health solutions,” said Paul Stoffels, MD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at J&J, in the press release. “By advancing transformative healthcare innovations together with entrepreneurs, academic centers and institutions, we are one step closer to addressing many pressing global healthcare challenges.”

Source: Johnson & Johnson Innovation