Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Division of Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., today announced the opening of JLABS @ Shanghai, the world's largest JLABS and the first in Asia Pacific. The 4,400-square-meter facility, located in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, is a collaboration with the Shanghai Pharma Engine Company, Ltd. JLABS @ Shanghai can accommodate more than 50 start-ups across the pharmaceuticals, medical device, consumer and health tech segments, and opens with 31 resident companies, including the three awardees of the Lung Cancer Innovation QuickFire Challenge.
"Johnson & Johnson has deep roots in China with an innovation footprint dating back nearly four decades. We are committed to fueling innovation in the region and unleashing the power of science and technology to advance the health of people in China and around the world," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman, Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson. "The new JLABS in Shanghai will connect global and local entrepreneurs with the expertise of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and our strategic partners to help transform great ideas into breakthrough solutions."
At the opening, JLABS @ Shanghai announced the awardees of the Lung Cancer Innovation QuickFire Challenge, which was launched in June 2018 to focus on the prevention, interception and curing of lung cancer. The awardees will receive a total of US$750,000 in grants; one year of residency at JLABS @ Shanghai, including a laboratory bench, workstation and access to the JLABS community; and mentorship and coaching from Johnson & Johnson Innovation. The three awardees are: DNX Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., Hawkeye Bio and NE Scientific LLC.
"The opening of JLABS @ Shanghai couldn't have come at a better time for China and the world, facing the growing challenge of diabetes, cancer, and an aging population. Together we can identify and nurture best in class science to transform how diseases are treated, cured, prevented and intercepted," said Melinda Richter, Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS[i]. "We can't do that well for the 1.4 billion people in China without being right here, working hand-in-hand with the right people. Today, all of you, and the companies and entrepreneurs of JLABS @ Shanghai, have the potential to create solutions that can be global answers as we work toward the hope of a world without disease."
"Johnson & Johnson is honored to collaborate with the Shanghai Pharma Engine Company Limited to bring JLABS to Shanghai," said Will Song, Chairman, Johnson & Johnson China and President, Johnson & Johnson Medical China[ii]. "JLABS @ Shanghai adds to our expanding presence of R&D, and innovation centers in Shanghai to develop a regional hub for innovation across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and serves as a key contributor to the government's Healthy China 2030 initiative."
JLABS sites have hosted more than 540 companies to date, advancing several biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical device, consumer and health tech programs. JLABS @ Shanghai will follow the same no-strings-attached approach across all existing JLABS locations: San Diego; San Francisco; Boston; Lowell; Houston; Toronto; Beerse, Belgium; New York City and the newly announced Washington, DC. The following companies are the first to be selected as residents of JLABS @ Shanghai:
JLABS @ Shanghai Resident: About the Company[iii]
Achelois Pharmaceuticals: Acheloís focuses on the development of T cell medicine for solid tumor.
Analytics For Life Inc.: Analytics For Life utilizes non-invasive AI machine-learning solutions to assess and diagnose diseases such as coronary artery diseases.
Aprinoia Therapeutics: Aprinoia Therapeutics focuses on developing novel therapeutics and imaging-based diagnostics
AsiaBiome: AsiaBiome is a platform technology for the discovery and development of live bio-therapeutic drugs based on exclusive access to microbiome data and samples in Asia.
Beijing Syngentech: SyngenTech pioneers Synthetic-Biology based live therapeutics, 'programmed' to harness the immune system and fight cancers.
BioSense Suzhou Ltd.: BioSense focuses on discovering novel kinase inhibitors (KI) based upon the proven functional scaffolds of potent natural KIs.
Black Ceramic Medical Technology: Black Ceramic Medical Technology focuses on the research and development of upmarket silicon nitride ceramic joint implants.
Bridge Biotherapeutics Inc.: Bridge Biotherapeutics develops therapeutics for the effective treatment of various autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis and fibrotic diseases.
ChemSun (Cayman): ChemSun discovers and develops new innovative next-generation antibody-based drugs for lung cancer.
Corestone Biosciences: Corestone Biosciences focuses on innovative medical devices on non-invasive respiratory monitoring and continuous nerve blocking catheter foracute pain management in surgery.
DNX Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.: DNX Biopharmaceuticals is developing highly innovative anti-cytokine therapeutics, including DNX-314 and DNX-114, addressing unmet medical needs for rare cancers, non-rare cancers, and IL-1 or TNF-α-mediated Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases (SAIDS.).
Hawkeye Bio: Hawkeye Bio provides a non-invasive breath test for the early detection of lung cancer.
Helios Bioelectronics: Helios Bioelectronics is a semiconductor-based diagnostic platform with AI and cloud computing capabilities.
Hepagene Therapeutics (Shanghai), Inc: Hepagene Therapeutics discovers, develops and delivers innovative medicines that help patients with liver diseases.
HighTide Therapeutics: HighTide Therapeutics focuses on the development of novel therapeutics for liver, gastrointestinal, and metabolic diseases.
Holmusk: Holmusk is a data science and digital therapeutics company establishing objective evidence as a core utility to the treatment of mental health and chronic diseases.
Inertia Biotechnology: Inertia Biotechnology develops a direct-to-consumer skin test kit to help users understand their skin and choose suitable skin care routines.
Jiangsu Nuo-Beta Pharmaceutical Technology: Jiangsu Nuo-Beta Pharmaceutical Technology focuses on treating Alzheimer's Disease by facilitating cellular release of beta amyloid 42 via inhibition of PI4KIIIa.
Lifespans Limited: Lifespans develops proprietary approaches to making implants safer and more effective when repairing broken bones in elderly patients.
LIVE2LIFE: LIVE2LIFE develops a cloud platform DSP@MTUBE and applies AI & blockchain to index, analyze and exchange all surgical intervention procedures.
Maiden Therapeutics: Maiden Therapeutics is developing a drug discovery platform utilizing the human milk microbiome to discover drug-like molecules
Metabonose: Metabonose focuses on integrating personalized nutrition into daily gut microbiota eubiosis management.
mSENSE: mSENSE develops and provides intelligent and professional health management solutions.
NE Scientific: NE Scientific develops novel surgical guidance software that helps physicians in achieving significantly improved outcomes in the ablation of tumors.
Octimet: Octimet develops a family of selective MET kinase inhibitors.
Santai Biotech: Santai Biotech develops develops tissue engineering products to repair tissue/organ injury.
Shanghai Tuoxiao Intelligent Technology Co.: Shanghai Tuoxiao Intelligent Technology Co. focuses on the development of congenital heart disease screening-related equipment and systems using digital stethoscope and AI.
SpineGuide Technologies: SpineGuide Technologies is developing an implant for Idiopathic Scoliosis designed to provide correction and maintain the growth of the spine at the same time.
Vigor Medical Systems: Vigor Medical Systems is a device and digital health platform that focuses on diagnosing and managing chronic respiratory disease.
Xinguang: Xinguang focuses on the treatment of metabolic disorders such as alcohol poisoning and gout, with a combination of liposome or chitosan-encapsulated multi-enzymes.
Applications to join JLABS @ Shanghai and other JLABS sites are currently being accepted from biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and digital health companies. For more information, visit the website (link below).
About Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Johnson & Johnson Innovation focuses on accelerating all stages of innovation worldwide and forming collaborations between entrepreneurs and Johnson & Johnson's global healthcare businesses.
Johnson & Johnson Innovation provides scientists, entrepreneurs and emerging companies with one-stop access to science and technology experts who can facilitate collaborations across the pharmaceutical,
medical device and consumer companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under the Johnson & Johnson Innovation umbrella of businesses, we connect with innovators through our regional Innovation Centers;
Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS; JJDC, Inc.; and our business development teams to create customized deals and novel collaborations that speed development of innovations to solve unmet needs in
patients. JLABS provides the laboratories, expertise, education, tools and resources needed to help life science startups thrive, all with no strings attached. A Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center for Device
Innovation at the Texas Medical Center (CDI @ TMC) has been established to accelerate the development of medical devices. For more information about Johnson & Johnson Innovation,
please visit: www.jnjinnovation.com.
About Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS
Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) is a global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering innovators across a broad healthcare spectrum including pharmaceutical,
medical device, consumer and health tech sectors to create and accelerate the delivery of life-saving, life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients around the world. JLABS achieves this by providing
the optimal environment for emerging companies to catalyze growth and optimize their research and development by opening them to vital industry connections, delivering entrepreneurial programs and providing
a capital-efficient, flexible platform where they can transform the scientific discoveries of today into the breakthrough healthcare solutions of tomorrow. At JLABS, we value great ideas and are passionate about
removing obstacles to success to help innovators unleash the potential of their early scientific discoveries. JLABS is a no-strings-attached model, which means entrepreneurs are free to develop their science while
holding on to their intellectual property. JLABS also produces campaigns to seek out the best science called QuickFire Challenges. For more information, visit www.jlabs.jnjinnovation.com or follow @JLABS.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 related to a new collaboration. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the potential that the expected benefits and opportunities related to the collaboration may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected; challenges inherent in new product development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and obtaining regulatory approvals; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; uncertainty of commercial success for new products; the ability of the company to successfully execute strategic plans; impact of business combinations and divestitures; challenges to patents; changes in behavior and spending patterns or financial distress of purchasers of health care products and services; and global health care reforms and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and Johnson & Johnson do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
[i] Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC
[ii] Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd.
[iii] Descriptions were provided by respective companies
Press Contact
Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Julien Dedman, +852 9022 8032, [email protected]; Jieying Wu, +86 139 1171 2835, [email protected]
