Life Science Leader Magazine

MAR 2014

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burden; on the other hand, an opportunity." Janssen has an expansive armamentar- ium, far beyond what even Paul Janssen could ever have imagined. Within the set therapeutic areas, the company can now aim to use all therapeutic tools available in its kit: small molecules, biotechnology, and vaccines — its three "centers of excellence" serving the entire Janssen organization. Janssen Diagnostics develops biomarkers and tests, to be used either independently or in companion diagnostics. "The melding of all our capabilities is already in place," Stoffels says. "But no organization is ever at its end-stage. We must always continue to think about how we can improve. And when we fail, we learn how to succeed. We learn from all things, but especially from our failures." Earlier, Stoffels used the phrase "phar- maceutical company of the future," so I asked him to elaborate. "The pharmaceu- tical company of the future is one which is having strong internal science, combined with a vast network of collaboration in the world. It is a global company, which can execute fast global development, com- bining all types of technologies with a single objective — improving the quality and length of life — and that is the metric which, in the end, results in a good busi- ness outcome. It also produces extreme motivation in the organization, and that's also a very significant part of the success." For a glimpse of the present and future Janssen, Stoffels refers once more to the past: "Paul Janssen looked his whole life for a TB drug, one effective against multi- resistant strains. I carried on the search with my team and said, 'Let's get this done.' And we found a spectacular new drug for TB." Launched in late 2012, the TB drug Sirturo (bedaquiline) has a new mecha- nism of action, inhibiting mycobacterial ATP [adenosine 5'-triphosphate] synthase. "Nobody ever believed ATP inhibition would be a drug target at all," he says. Stoffels says the Sirturo story is emblem- atic of the expanding Janssen legacy. "The character of the organization and the heart and soul of the organization have been carried on through the years and through the ages. We still have many peo- ple who worked with Dr. Paul. We have added our own flavor to that, of course, going into the new age of biotechnology and so forth, but it is still all about making a difference for patients, and it works. It is what Dr. Janssen did the first 50 years of the company, and I believe it will continue to be our strategy for the next 50 years." Based on how I have seen the com- pany grow and develop during most of its past years, Stoffels may be right about its future. I doubt, at the least, Paul Janssen would disagree. L Learn more about Tria OA solutions at CRFHEALTH.COM With Tria OA solutions, it's never been faster or easier to collect Clinical Outcome Assessments. LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM MARCH 2014 27 0 3 1 4 _ F e a t u r e _ J J _ F . i n d d 6 0314_Feature_JJ_F.indd 6 2 / 1 9 / 2 0 1 4 2 : 2 5 : 2 2 P M 2/19/2014 2:25:22 PM

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