Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) committed to financing early stage companies through its Innovation Centers scattered around the globe that launched more than a year ago. Now it's unveiling a dozen alliances that it has made lately with life science companies and research institutions.
Although most of these deals revolve around drug research, two are focused on medical device companies: 3-D printing company Tissue Regeneration Systems and sedation biosensor maker BrainStem Biometrics.
The Innovation Centers are J&J's way of thinking big and going early. "The future of healthcare will be defined by companies, academic institutions and governments that collaborate to leverage existing strengths, while at the same time think outside current paradigms and experiment with new ways of innovating," Dr. Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson and worldwide chairman in pharmaceuticals, said in a statement.
Orthopedic-focused J&J company DePuy Synthes Products and Johnson & Johnson Innovation formed a strategic collaboration with Tissue Regeneration Systems to develop patient-specific, resorbable implants for large bone segmental defect treatment in trauma and orthopedic oncology. DePuy Synthes brings its market muscle to the table, while TRS contributes its printing technology and development experience. The deal includes a range of additional, undisclosed applications that are within strategic areas for DePuy Synthes.
The other med tech deal is with J&J company Ethicon Endo-Surgery and BrainStem; it was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. The collaboration helps to fund studies for BrainStem's Tremor Monitor Unit, a small, noninvasive medical device biosensor that is used to detect minute eye movements in patients undergoing anesthesia. The goal is to develop a monitor that can distinguish between safe and unsafe levels of sedation during surgery.
These recently announced deals were made through the Menlo Park, CA; Boston, MA and London, U.K. Innovation Centers.
- here is the press release