Cloistered with analysts today in a session devoted to its future performance, J&J officials outlined plans to gain approvals for 11 new medications by the end of 2015. And their development strategy includes more than 30 planned extensions of product lines.
There are billions of dollars in revenue riding on the company's potential success. As Reuters notes, Sanford Bernstein analyst Derrick Sung has projected $6 billion in sales for six new drugs: "Stelara for psoriasis, Simponi for rheumatoid arthritis, Zytiga for prostate cancer, HIV drug Edurant, hepatitis C medicine telaprevir--for which J&J has European rights--and blood-clot preventer Xarelto."
While perhaps not the best at early-stage research, J&J has earned kudos for its ability to identify blockbuster drugs in other companies' pipelines and push them to an approval. That was the case for its $1 billion buyout of Cougar Biotechnology, which delivered the newly approved abiraterone (Zytiga). And what it doesn't buy outright it can certainly in-license, as it did with the European rights to Vertex's telaprevir. J&J spent $4.4 billion on R&D last year.
"Innovation and sustained R&D productivity are key to our long-term future," said Paul Stoffels, worldwide chairman, Pharmaceuticals. "The future drivers for success in pharmaceuticals will depend on matching the medical need with the best science and operational excellence. We have strong therapeutic area expertise to anticipate the medical need and the scientific acumen to access the best science internal or external."
- check out the J&J release
- read the Reuters story
Special Report: Johnson & Johnson - The world's biggest R&D spenders