J&J partners with European biotech firms
pharmafile | October 4, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | J&J, JJ, effimune, life sciences, merus
The London Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre has teamed up with several biotech partners from the European region.
Announced at its ‘Celebration of Life Science Innovation’ event in London, the firm will be joining forces with biotech Effimune, venture-backed biopharma firm Merus, and two vaccine research bodies with the aim of increasing innovative and better healthcare solutions.
UK science minister David Willetts, said: “The UK has a long tradition in using collaboration and partnership to spark new ideas and develop new advances in the life sciences. I am pleased that Johnson & Johnson have recognised that strength, and chosen London to be one of their world centres for innovation and collaboration.”
The news comes on the back of J&J recently setting up regional innovation centres in a bid to speed up the manufacturer’s early-stage involvement in pharma, medical device, diagnostics and consumer health projects.
This new collaboration agreement sees J&J’s Janssen biotech along with Effimune, the J&J Innovation Centre and the Janssen Immunology Therapeutic Area focus on developing and commercialising FR104, a monoclonal antibody fragment in pre-clinical development for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases.
J&J has also invested in private, venture-backed biopharma firm Merus based in Utrecht, The Netherlands, that is building a pipeline of single-cell derived human bi-specific antibodies for cancer therapy.
The company is developing antibodies that target both solid tumours and blood tumours, and is the lead in a consortium effort to develop bi-specific antibodies targeting cancer stem cells with the aim of addressing recurrent cancer.
Janssen, the Crucell Vaccine Institute and the London Innovation Centre have also facilitated two vaccine research collaborations.
Under one agreement with DCPrime, Janssen will utilise DCPrime’s DCOne technology in feasibility studies for the development of a dendritic cell-based vaccine. In a second agreement, Crucell will collaborate with CureVac, on the development of a respiratory vaccine based on CureVac’s RNActive technology.
“We are delighted to advance a broad range of collaborations based on exciting early-stage science with the potential to lead to transformative products for patients,” commented Patrick Verheyen, head of the J&J Innovation Centre, London.
Brett Wells
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