J&J opens London hub
pharmafile | March 14, 2013 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | J&J, JJ, London, research
Johnson & Johnson has opened the doors to a new life sciences centre in London that forms part of a quartet of innovation hubs in the US, Europe and China.
Located at 1 Chapel Place near London’s Oxford Street, J&J’s new venture will be a sort of hothouse for science and technology experts.
Their brief is to drive early-stage deals with UK outfits who can offer something to J&J’s existing pharma, device, diagnostics and consumer health operations.
The company announced plans last September for a London centre along with two US locations – in San Francisco and Boston – and one in Shanghai, with a stated aim to get closer to the life science ‘ecosystems’ in these places.
The ventures come under the J&J Innovation banner, which is in turn a division of J&J Finance Corporation.
“Our on-the-ground proximity to regional scientists and entrepreneurs will allow us to build the strong personal relationships that underlie the most successful collaborations and investment deals,” said Patrick Verheyen, head of the London centre.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said J&J’s investment demonstrated Britain’s “worldwide reputation for excellence in innovation”.
“We are looking forward to collaborating within the UK, home to one of the world’s thriving life sciences ecosystems,” added J&J’s chief scientific officer Paul Stoffels.
J&J has a ‘shared commitment’ with the NHS to address diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and Type II diabetes, he went on.
“Science and technology hold unprecedented opportunities to transform healthcare, and by investing and collaborating in groundbreaking science we can deliver transformational innovations in healthcare to people across the world,” Stoffels concluded.
The announcement was made at Innovation Expo at ExCeL London this week, which was attended by Hunt and health minister Norman Lamb.
A dedicated area of the exhibition hall held a ‘Dementia Village’, hosted by the Department of Health, which aimed to showcase good practice and innovation in dementia care and research.
Adam Hill
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