Janssen Biotech
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pharmaceutical |
| Predecessor | NV Laboratoria Pharmaceutica C. Janssen |
| Founded | 1953 in Beerse, Belgium |
| Founder | Paul Janssen |
| Fate | Acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1961; now Janssen Research and Development, LLC |
| Successor | Janssen Research and Development, LLC |
| Headquarters | Beerse , Belgium |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Alex Gorsky (former president of Janssen, later CEO of Johnson & Johnson) |
| Products | Imodium, Motilium, Reminyl, Daktarin, Nizoral, Duragesic, Vermox, Risperdal |
| Owner | Johnson & Johnson |
| Parent | Johnson & Johnson |
| Website | www |
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine—previously known as Janssen Pharmaceuticals—is a Belgian-based pharmaceutical firm located in Beerse, Belgium, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Established in 1953 by Paul Janssen, the company was incorporated into Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical research division following its acquisition in 1961, now functioning under the name Janssen Research and Development, LLC. Its research and development activities span diverse therapeutic fields such as mental illness, neurological disorders, anesthesia, gastrointestinal disorders, fungal infections, HIV/AIDS, allergies, and oncology. Janssen maintains an international presence through its affiliates including Actelion, Cilag AG, Janssen Biotech (formerly Centocor), Janssen Vaccines (formerly Crucell), and Tibotec.
Subsidiaries
History
The company’s roots date back to 1933 when Constant Janssen acquired distribution rights for Richter pharmaceuticals within Belgium and adjacent markets. In 1953, Paul Janssen launched his own research laboratory, which produced its inaugural medication, Neomeritine, by 1955. The enterprise was renamed NV Laboratoria Pharmaceutica C. Janssen in 1956. After expanding and relocating its research and manufacturing operations to Beerse during the early 1970s, the firm was purchased by Johnson & Johnson in 1961 and rebranded as Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. by 1964.
Focusing heavily on drug innovation, Janssen created the Janssen Research Foundation in 1987 to bolster its global R&D capabilities. Its chemical manufacturing facility in Geel is responsible for approximately 80% of the company’s active pharmaceutical ingredients and contributes two-thirds of Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide pharmaceutical chemical production. Notable investments include the establishment of the Center for Molecular Design in 1995.
During the early 2000s, Janssen centralized its global clinical and non-clinical research under Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Development (JJPRD), significantly enlarging its Beerse research infrastructure. In 2011, Centocor transitioned to Janssen Biotech, while Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of Crucell led to the creation of a vaccine division rebranded as Janssen Vaccines by 2014.
Key strategic partnerships involve licensing the anti-cancer agent tipifarnib to Kura Oncology in 2015, collaborating with MacroGenics on oncology therapies in 2016, and working alongside BARDA on pandemic influenza vaccines in 2017. The FDA granted approval for Janssen’s Spravato (esketamine nasal spray) in 2019 to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression.
In 2021, Janssen resolved opioid-related litigation in New York through a settlement amounting to $230 million, concluding its participation in lawsuits concerning opioid manufacturers.
Janssen Biotech
Originally founded as Centocor Biotech in Philadelphia in 1979, this subsidiary specialized in developing monoclonal antibody diagnostics and therapeutic products. Centocor went public in 1982 before being acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1999 for $4.9 billion. It expanded manufacturing capabilities with facilities established in St. Louis, Ireland, and a major plant located in Leiden.
In 2008, Centocor merged with Ortho Biotech to form Centocor Ortho Biotech, which was renamed Janssen Biotech in 2011 to consolidate the Janssen brand worldwide. Janssen Biotech has been involved in significant collaborations such as co-developing MacroGenics’ cancer drug MGD011 in 2014 and integrating Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ antisense technology for autoimmune disorders in 2015. In 2019, it acquired bermekimab, an antibody therapy from XBiotech.
Development of COVID-19 Vaccine
In March 2020, BARDA allocated $456 million to aid Janssen in creating a vaccine against COVID-19, highlighting the company's significant contribution to the worldwide pandemic response.
Chinese Market Operations
Janssen was the pioneering Western pharmaceutical firm to set up manufacturing facilities in China. Beginning with collaboration agreements in the late 1970s, the company established a substantial production plant in Xi'an by 1985, manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients locally to meet the expanding demands of the Chinese market.
Principal Products
Janssen has introduced approximately 70 novel chemical entities, including key medications such as:
- Imodium (loperamide) – used to treat diarrhea
- Motilium (domperidone) – promotes gastrointestinal motility
- Reminyl (galantamine) – for managing Alzheimer's disease
- Daktarin (miconazole) – antifungal treatment
- Nizoral (ketoconazole) – antifungal shampoo formulation
- Duragesic (fentanyl patch) – for pain control
- Vermox (mebendazole) – targets parasitic infections
- Risperdal (risperidone) – antipsychotic medication
Eight of Janssen's pharmaceuticals are included on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, underscoring their importance to global health.
Centocor Pharmaceuticals
Centocor is known for developing Remicade (infliximab), initially approved for Crohn’s disease and subsequently for multiple autoimmune disorders. Additional products include ReoPro (abciximab), used during coronary procedures, and Simponi, prescribed for arthritis management.
Legal Issues
In 2010, probes uncovered that Johnson & Johnson and Janssen had engaged in unlawful promotional activities for Risperdal, including kickbacks to encourage off-label prescribing despite FDA advisories. These actions led to settlements amounting to roughly $2.3 billion by 2012. During this timeframe, Alex Gorsky, formerly Janssen's president, assumed the role of CEO at Johnson & Johnson.
See also
External links
- Janssen Pharmaceutica
- Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries
- Pharmaceutical companies of Belgium
- Companies based in Antwerp Province
- Beerse
- Pharmaceutical companies established in 1953
- Biotechnology companies established in 1953
- 1961 mergers and acquisitions
- Belgian brands
- Belgian companies established in 1953
- COVID-19 vaccine producers
- Medical research
- Belgian subsidiaries of foreign companies
- American companies established in 1979
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment