Published: 19-05-2025 13:32 | Updated: 19-05-2025 13:34

Long partnership with Johnson & Johnson paves way for therapies of the future

The partnership with J&J was celebrated with a well-attended conference.
The ten-year collaboration with J&J was celebrated with a well-attended conference. Here, Professor Miia Kivipelto presents the advances in current research on Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Liza Simonsson

The partnership between Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (J&J) and Karolinska Institutet (KI) marks this year a decade of joint initiatives for promoting the development of tomorrow’s therapies. This long-standing collaboration between industry and academy has given rise to significant scientific advances in several fields of medicine.

The partnership with J&J was celebrated with a well-attended conference.
Richard Cowburn reflected on the strength of long-term and close cooperation. Photo: Liza Simonsson

“Successful innovation is based on collaboration between people in the ecosystem of academic and industrial players,” says Richard Cowburn, Head of External Engagement at Karolinska Institutet. “This becomes obvious when we see the results of a decade of partnership that has had researchers at KI and J&J working side by side.” 

The first collaboration agreement between Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (formerly Janssen) and Karolinska Institutet was signed in 2015 with the aim of conducting frontier research in such fields as oncology, neurology, immunology, ophthalmology and methodology.  

New opportunities for improving healthcare 

With ten joint research programmes in nine different disease areas, the KI-J&J partnership has enhanced knowledge on new therapeutic alternatives in fields for which the medical needs are the most pressing.  

The partnership with J&J was celebrated with a well-attended conference.
The key note speakers and key people from J&J, including Mario Klesse, Managing Director Nordics and Sweden at J&J Innovative Medicine in the centre of the front row and Shane Kavanagh, Vice President Health Economics and Real World Evidence, behind him. Photo: Liza Simonsson

“This May, it’s ten years since I signed the first cooperation agreement, and over the years we have refreshed and expanded our partnership,” says Shane Kavanagh, Vice President Health Economics and Real World Evidence at J&J Innovative Medicine. “Looking ahead, we’re excited about exploring new openings for further cooperative endeavours that can help to improve healthcare provision for patients.”   

The partnership with J&J was celebrated with a well-attended conference.
Current research and the results of long-term co-operation were presented in several formats during the well-attended event. Photo: Liza Simonsson

Over 150 researchers have been involved in the partnership since it began, and have turned out more than 50 presentations at international scientific congresses and in excess of 30 scientific papers. 

Celebrating with current projects 

The ten-year anniversary was marked with a two-day conference at Karolinska Institutet on 14–15 May, at which researchers from both academy and industry presented ongoing projects.  

The focus of the conference was on how continuing collaboration can contribute to the development of new, innovative therapies, especially in complex disease areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, inflammatory skin diseases and diseases of the eye.  

“The life science ecosystem in Sweden is known for fostering partnerships between the private and public sectors,” says Mario Klesse, Managing Director Nordics and Sweden at J&J Innovative Medicine. “We’re proud that our partnership with KI is one of the longest-standing and most robust in this field.”