Don Tracy, Associate Editor The deal, which is worth approximately $13.1 billion, is part of J&J MedTech’s goal to expand into high-growth markets. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced that it has agreed to terms on acquiring Shockwave Medical, an intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) technology company focused on coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral artery disease. According to J&J, the deal is a part of its strategy to enhance the profile of its MedTech division, with an emphasis on the area of cardiovascular intervention. Shockwave Medical’s IVL technology is described as a minimally invasive treatment for calcified artery diseases that can also lead to reduced blood flow, pain, or heart attacks. Under terms of the deal, J&J is expected to acquire all outstanding shares of the company for $335.00 per share in cash.1 “Shockwave offers a truly differentiated opportunity to further enhance our leadership position in medtech, expand into additional high-growth segments, ...
Davy James Expanded indication for Edurant in combination with other antiretroviral therapies includes treatment-naïve children with HIV-1 RNA <100,000 copies/mL aged at least 2 years and weighing between 14 kg and 25 kg. The FDA has approved an expanded indication for Johnson & Johnson’s Edurant PED (rilpivirine) in combination with other antiretroviral therapies (ART) to treat HIV-1 in treatment-naïve children (with HIV-1 RNA <100,000 copies/mL) aged at least 2 years and weighing between 14 kg and 25 kg.1 Edurant is an HIV-1 specific, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor previously approved in combination with ART in treatment-naïve patients 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 35 kg with HIV-1 RNA less than or equal to 100,000 copies/mL. “Decades of experience with the global HIV epidemic have made it clear that new and improved treatment options are needed to support the diverse population of people living with HIV on their ...
Pharmaceutical Executive Editorial Staff Darzalex Faspro has previously been approved by the FDA for eight indications in multiple myeloma. The FDA will evaluate Johnson & Johnson’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Darzalex Faspro (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (D-VRd) for induction and consolidation therapy and in combination with lenalidomide (D-R) for the maintenance treatment of adults newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).1 Darzalex Faspro, a CD38-directed antibody, has previously been approved by the FDA for eight indications in multiple myeloma, with three in the frontline treatment of newly diagnosed patients who are transplant eligible or ineligible. “We are committed to changing the course of multiple myeloma through building combination regimens such as D-VRd with complementary mechanisms of action. The Darzalex Faspro-based quadruplet therapy demonstrated a clinically significant reduction in the risk of progression or death for transplant-eligible, newly ...
After failing to resolve a mountain of talcum-powder lawsuits through two unsuccessful bankruptcy attempts, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to a $700 million settlement that would free the company from some consumer protection claims—and a small part of the talc litigation that it faces. J&J plans to pay $700 million to 42 states and the District of Columbia to settle claims that the company did not warn of the potential health risks posed by its talcum-based products, including its iconic Johnson’s Baby Powder.Bloomberg first revealed the agreement two weeks ago, with the company confirming the news to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. “Consistent with the plan we outlined last year, the company continues to pursue several paths to achieve a comprehensive and final resolution of the talc litigation,” J&J litigation chief Erik Haas said in an emailed statement confirming the report. “We will continue to address the claims of those who do not ...
ohnson & Johnson MedTech Worldwide Chair Tim Schmid [Photo courtesy of Johnson & Johnson] Tim Schmid is the new worldwide chair of Johnson & Johnson MedTech and EVP of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)+ following Ashley McEvoy’s announcement today that she plans to resign from the world’s second-largest medical device manufacturer.“We are pleased to have the depth of talent at Johnson & Johnson that allows us to transition to Tim, a respected, results-driven and Credo-based leader,” J&J Chair and CEO Joaquin Duato said in a news release.McEvoy called Schmid “a trusted friend and partner” in a LinkedIn post announcing her resignation. Schmid has worked for New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J for three decades, most recently serving as group chair of J&J MedTech Asia Pacific (APAC).“During his tenure, the APAC region has delivered above-market growth and further strengthened our leadership position across multiple businesses,” J&J said. “Mr. Schmid has also been instrumental in elevating the role ...
As Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech have sought to grow the reach of their multiple myeloma CAR-T drug Carvykti since winning FDA approval last year, they’ve occasionally run into manufacturing pitfalls. Now, with an eye on a big market expansion, J&J is laying out the state of its cell therapy production writ large. Over the past several months, J&J has been “progressively adding more and more capacity” to churn out Carvykti, John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president of pharmaceuticals R&D, said on a Tuesday conference call. Aside from the company’s original launch site in New Jersey, Reed said J&J is close to having an additional Carvykti manufacturing site “up and rolling” in Belgium. The company also plans to boost output by leveraging excess capacity from Novartis under a relatively new partnership. Reed described the lentivirus portion of Carvykti as a “rate-limiting” component of the therapy. Lentiviral vectors are pricey delivery components used to ...
Seven weeks after saying it would allow generic competition for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) treatment Sirturo (bedaquiline) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), Johnson & Johnson has slashed its own drug’s price in those markets. Under the new pricing structure, J&J’s drug will cost $130 for a six-month course in LMICs, a 55% discount from its prior price. Lupin also has reduced the cost of its generic version of bedaquiline by 33% to $194. The United Nations-backed Stop TB Partnership revealed the new prices on Wednesday. Last month, J&J said it would not enforce secondary patents on Sirturo in LMICs, paving the way for generic competition in many countries around the globe. The primary patent for Sirturo—which in 2012 became the first new TB drug approved in more than four decades—expired last month. But J&J had also patented improvements to its formulation, extending its protection for Sirturo into 2027. The reduced ...
Following FDA approvals for fellow PAPR inhibitors made by AstraZeneca/Merck and Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson has got its own combo approval in prostate cancer. The tablet treatment, known commercially as Akeega, combines J&J’s androgen-directed Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) and the PARP inhibitor niraparib, which is sold by GSK as Zejula in other indications. The FDA has signed off on its use along with the corticosteroid prednisone, but only in a subset of mCRPC patients—those with BRCA mutations. Akeega will compete with AstraZeneca and Merck’s Lynparza as well as Pfizer’s Talzenna in the indication. Eleven weeks ago, the FDA gave Lynparza the same narrow label for those with the BRCA-positive tumors. Talzenna’s approval covers a broader population, including other mutations in the homologous recombination deficiency family. Under a 2016 deal with Zejula’s developer Tesaro, J&J carved out rights to the drug in prostate cancer. GSK then bought out Tesaro in 2019. The ...
Johnson & Johnson on Monday said it plans to reduce by at least 80% its stake in Kenvue, the consumer health business it spun out as an independent company earlier this year, via a stock exchange offer. J&J owns 89.6% of Kenvue’s common stock, which amounts to more than 1.72 billion shares. The exchange offer, also known as a split-off, will allow J&J shareholders to swap all or a portion of their shares for Kenvue’s common stock at a 7% discount. The offer is expected to be tax-free, J&J said in a release. The company noted that the split-off is voluntary for investors and is slated to close on Aug. 18, which is far earlier than expected. J&J said it received a waiver that dismisses the share lockup period associated with Kenvue’s initial public offering in May. That lockup agreement would have required J&J to ...
Johnson & Johnson has hopped on the litigation bandwagon, becoming the fourth large drugmaker to sue the U.S. government over drug price negotiations in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).In U.S. District Court in New Jersey, J&J claimed (PDF) that price negotiations by Medicare would violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and Astellas have made the same argument in separate lawsuits. Last week in federal court in Washington, D.C., Merck applied more pressure, filing for a decision in its case without a trial. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and industry association PhRMA have also filed suits with similar claims. “The government is forcing (J&J) to provide its innovative, patented medicines on pricing terms that by law must be significantly below market prices,” J&J said in a release. “This would upend the current self-sustaining cycle of pharmaceutical innovation that provides patients with access ...
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