J&J To Work With University Of Toronto On Brain Treatments
The University of Toronto announced that it has signed into an open innovation collaboration with Johnson & Johnson company Janssen for the discovery of new treatments for major brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and mood disorders.
Under the terms of the agreement, J&J’s Innovation center of California will support the research through the Collaborative Center for Drug Research (CCDR). The collaboration will run for three years and will identify as well as validate new therapeutic targets that could lead to the development of new clinical treatments for brain disorders.
Professor Catharine Whiteside, U of T’s dean of the faculty of medicine, said, “This is an important opportunity to enhance discovery of new therapeutics targeted at mental health and neurodegenerative disorders. We must make inroads in tackling these health challenges through innovation and strategic collaboration,” she said, commenting on the growing prevalence of conditions such as depression and dementia.
The CCDR will announce three calls for proposals over the course of the collaboration. Both open-source and collaborative projects will be requested from the University’s scientists and its affiliated hospitals which belong to the Toronto Academic Health Science Network. Janssen will provide scientific muscle and drug discovery expertise in order to quickly develop the drugs.
Professor Peter Lewis, U of T’s interim VP for research and innovation, said, “The potential for tremendous gains in human health can be found in working together in an open innovation partnership. Janssen’s support of open discovery furthers U of T’s research goals, while identifying new therapeutic options that can provide new treatment options for patients.”
This year, Janssen has focused on addressing brain disorders, in particular schizophrenia. In July, the company filed for the label expansion approval of its schizophrenia therapy Invega in the U.S. Invega was first approved in July 2009 as the first monthly treatment for the chronic brain disorder.