Global pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is expanding cooperation with Korea’s bio ecosystem through the supply of innovative medicines, joint research and development (R&D) with domestic companies, and support for startups.

Johnson & Johnson has broadened treatment options for Korean patients by providing innovative medicines in a range of areas including cancer, immune diseases, and mental health. It has introduced to the Korean market multiple myeloma treatments such as “Daratumumab,” “Teclistamab,” and “Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel,” as well as the lung cancer therapy “Amivantamab” and the bladder cancer therapy “Erdafitinib.” In the field of immune diseases, it supplies treatments for psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, while in mental health it is addressing unmet medical needs with the treatment-resistant depression therapy “Esketamine Hydrochloride.”

Joint research and development with domestic companies is also generating results. A representative example is the lung cancer treatment “Lazertinib,” co-developed with Yuhan Corporation. In 2018, Johnson & Johnson signed a technology transfer agreement with Yuhan worth up to USD 1.25 billion to pursue global development. Lazertinib received approval last year from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a first-line treatment for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer in combination with Amivantamab.

Domestic collaboration has extended beyond joint research with major pharmaceutical firms to supporting bio startups. The Ministry of Health and Welfare last year selected Johnson & Johnson as an operator of a global biohealthcare incubator. On this basis, Johnson & Johnson is running the JLABS program to support the R&D and overseas expansion of Korean bio companies.

JLABS is Johnson & Johnson’s open innovation platform designed to enable early-stage biotech and medical device companies to collaborate with the global R&D network, investors, and pharmaceutical firms. Participating companies can advance R&D and commercialization while retaining their own intellectual property (IP), and can leverage the global network to secure investment and technology collaboration opportunities.

According to the company, as of July this year, 36 Korean companies had received support through JLABS. Among them, 15 companies, excluding undisclosed investments, have collectively attracted more than USD 2.1 billion in external funding. Aimed Bio and IMBiologics have been listed on KOSDAQ, and Frasier Therapeutics has raised Series B funding that included participation from JJDC, Johnson & Johnson’s venture investment arm.

Business collaboration cases are also continuing. Medical artificial intelligence (AI) company Hutom has signed a joint promotion agreement with Johnson & Johnson for an AI-based surgical navigation platform, while Frasier Therapeutics has entered into a joint research and technology transfer agreement for the development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases based on targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology.

Johnson & Johnson plans to continue cooperation with Korean bio companies based on the supply of innovative medicines and open innovation.

Christian Rodseth, North Asia Area Managing Director and Korea Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, said, “Korea is an important partner with an excellent life sciences and biotech innovation ecosystem,” and added, “Johnson & Johnson will continue to contribute to the growth of the Korean biopharmaceutical industry through the supply of innovative medicines and various forms of partnership.”

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