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J&J Innovation inks new deals

June 20, 2014 1:21 AM UTC

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced 10 new deals out of its regional innovation centers. Among the deals, the London innovation center partnered with Minerva Neurosciences Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) to develop MIN-202, an orexin 2 receptor ( HCRTR2; OX2R) antagonist, to treat patients with primary and secondary insomnia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. The Boston innovation center partnered with Energesis Pharmaceuticals (Cambridge, Mass.), to develop compounds that stimulate the formation of brown fat for treating metabolic diseases.

J&J also announced undisclosed equity investments in Navitor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.), Padlock Therapeutics Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) and Ascelegen Therapeutics (Cambridge, Mass.). Navitor is developing selective inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Padlock is developing autoimmune therapies against peptidyl arginine deiminase ( PADI; PAD), and Ascelegen is developing growth factor-related therapies for cardiovascular diseases. J&J said Ascelegen's work is based on growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) research conducted at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital (see SciBX: Science-Business eXchange, June 13, 2013). ...