Since 1991, cancer death rates have declined by 33% in the U.S. This encouraging trend is a result of advancements in modern medicine and increased awareness, but work still needs to be done. Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death globally, disproportionately affecting individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities, who are more likely to experience worse outcomes.
That’s why, for more than 30 years, Johnson & Johnson has been relentlessly progressing innovative approaches and treatments, while building awareness to ensure patients around the world have access to care.
“At Johnson & Johnson, we are redefining the future of cancer care,” says Yusri Elsayed, M.D., Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “This includes developing groundbreaking therapies to address high unmet needs with the ultimate goal of delivering cures.”
To that end, Johnson & Johnson is harnessing the latest advancements in cancer research. Every year at medical congresses across the globe, the company presents cutting-edge research that focuses on enhancing outcomes and improving the lives of patients battling lung, bladder and prostate cancers, as well as hematologic malignancies.
Building on its history of leadership and innovation in hematologic malignancies, Johnson & Johnson is committed to driving purposeful advancements in lymphoma and leukemia. The company is dedicated to addressing the significant unmet needs of patients with these diseases by developing transformative, best-in-class treatment options to redefine outcomes and improve patient lives.
Here’s a look at how Johnson & Johnson is working toward its mission to get in front of—and eliminate—the disease.
1.
The best way to work toward curing cancer is by focusing on early interventions.
One example: the company’s work in multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer in which plasma cells develop a mutation that causes them to grow uncontrolled and take over the bone marrow. An estimated 36,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2025 alone; more than 12,000 will die from the disease.
A small portion of people have what’s known as smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), a condition that alters certain proteins in the blood but doesn’t yet cause clinical symptoms. This form of multiple myeloma is typically detected incidentally based on blood and/or urine testing during a routine checkup.
Approximately 50% of people with high-risk SMM develop multiple myeloma within two to three years of diagnosis. No approved treatments exist for these patients.
“The current standard of care is to observe patients with smoldering myeloma rather than treat them proactively, but the psychological burden of ‘watch and wait’ can impact their day-to-day life,” says Jordan Schecter, M.D., Vice President, Disease Area Leader, Multiple Myeloma, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “This approach may lead to therapeutic intervention only after a patient ends up hospitalized due to symptoms commonly associated with active myeloma, particularly end-organ damage. We hope to identify and treat patients with smoldering myeloma earlier to prevent them from getting multiple myeloma in the first place.”
About 15% of patients with multiple myeloma will also be diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, a rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in organs like the heart, kidneys, liver and spleen. Like multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis affects the plasma cells inside the bone marrow and may cause permanent organ damage if not treated early.
Early diagnosis can prevent organ damage down the line, but because symptoms of AL amyloidosis—like shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling in the legs—mimic other conditions, it can be hard to diagnose. Through a strategic partnership with Ultromics, Johnson & Johnson is working on an artificial intelligence algorithm that can analyze echocardiograms in patients with multiple myeloma or SMM and detect subtleties that may indicate if the patient has AL amyloidosis.
The patients who do show evidence of amyloidosis then go on to get a heart biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. “This way, if you have 100 patients, the algorithm may help identify two who possibly have amyloidosis and need a biopsy, versus doing a biopsy of all 100 patients,” says Dr. Schecter.
2.
While therapies exist to treat many cancers, one challenge can be physically accessing hard-to-reach areas where malignant tumors may grow.
For example, bladder cancer, which affects more than 1 million people globally, rises from the bladder lining, which makes it challenging to physically treat. “Liquid drugs don’t stay in the bladder for long, since they are excreted in the urine,” says Chris Cutie, M.D., Vice President, Disease Area Leader, Bladder Cancer, Johnson & Johnson. “As a urologist, I knew we needed to develop an effective way to release a drug within the bladder at a low continuous dose that would limit systemic side effects.”
So, his team initiated the study of a new treatment approach for bladder cancer: an intravesical drug releasing system, a new platform that works by providing sustained release of medication directly into the bladder, right where it is needed.
“This drug-device platform relies on osmosis,” says Dr. Cutie. “When we place it into the bladder, over several weeks, treatment diffuses out locally into the lining of the bladder.”
The platform has Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now under review.
Scientists are also looking into whether the combination drug-device can be combined with other treatments. Reaching tumors in the lung, for example, with traditional diagnostic methods can also be tricky. Not having full physical access to these areas means these cancers are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage.
That’s why having innovative tools is key to catching certain cancers early. New procedural technologies, including platforms for minimally invasive access to lesions within the body and imaging solutions, open new possibilities for intratumoral treatments.
“We are working on a number of clinical trials to examine whether we can deliver novel therapies directly into the tumors that kill cancer cells or activate the immune system to kill cancer cells,” says Philippe Szapary, M.D., MSCE, Clinical Development & Scientific Affairs Head, Interventional Oncology (INTO) at Johnson & Johnson.
INTO, a research and development enterprise group, integrates Johnson & Johnson’s depth of expertise in both pharmaceutical and MedTech development to innovate the next wave of intratumoral therapies to help improve patient outcomes in lung and adjacent cancers. “We are using procedural technologies to locate and access tumors and deliver therapeutic modalities directly into the lesions using purpose-built, drug-delivery systems to optimize the effect of each modality,” says Hannah McEwen, Ph.D., Head of Engineering Sciences, INTO at Johnson & Johnson.
Additionally, through a licensing agreement with biotech company Nanobiotix, the INTO team is exploring how an investigational radio enhancer may help make radiation therapy more effective in head, neck and lung cancers.
3.
Johnson & Johnson is also innovating new cancer therapeutics by identifying which patients would respond most positively to a particular treatment, so that time isn’t lost giving treatment to someone who won’t benefit.
One example: Johnson & Johnson has an approved medicine for helping treat metastatic urothelial cancer, and it is effective in patients whose tumor has a specific abnormal gene.
The drug was approved for use in conjunction with a companion diagnostic, which is administered by healthcare providers to identify the patients who may benefit most from the bladder cancer treatment—a precision medicine-based approach to getting the most effective treatment to a patient who has certain genetic alterations.
Another medicine became the first targeted therapy approved by the FDA for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in patients with a specific genetic mutation. A Johnson & Johnson therapeutic is FDA-approved for use as a first-line targeted treatment for patients with prostate cancer who carry a certain mutation and for whom chemotherapy is not clinically indicated.
Currently, Dr. Schecter is focusing his efforts on another precision medicine innovation: cell-based therapies for the treatment of blood cancers. This approach involves genetically engineering a patient’s own immune cells to target and kill cancer cells. At present, such treatments are only available to patients who have unsuccessfully gone through multiple lines of prior therapy, but the hope is to bring the treatment into earlier lines of therapy—potentially paving the way for improved outcomes in the future.
4.
As is the case with many diseases, cancer impacts everyone differently. For example, in the U.S., Black people experience the highest cancer death rates and the shortest survival times of any population group. And compared with white people, Hispanic men and women are less likely to be diagnosed with lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers—the most common types.
One way to begin reducing these disparities is by increasing representation in clinical trials. Barriers such as limited outreach have prevented historically marginalized communities from participating in clinical studies. And inclusiveness is crucial, so researchers can determine which medicines and therapies will work for all people with cancer.
Just a few examples of how Johnson & Johnson has shown its commitment to diversifying clinical trials: In 2022, the company donated $3 million to the American Cancer Society’s Navigating Patients Across the Care and Treatment Continuum program, an initiative that’s increasing awareness and access to clinical trials among racially and ethnically diverse communities.
“The grant will be awarded to about 20 different cancer health systems throughout the U.S. to support innovative and impactful strategies to overcome access to barriers,” says Mark Wildgust, Ph.D., Vice President of Oncology, Global Medical Affairs at Johnson & Johnson. This may include nurse navigator support throughout the clinical trial process, from addressing comprehension and literacy gaps to ensuring compliance with protocol-specified evaluations.
In addition, the company also provided a $5 million sponsorship to Stand Up to Cancer to increase diversity in early-phase cancer clinical trials. Globally, Johnson & Johnson’s support of the African Access Initiative is helping improve access to cancer care and representation in cancer clinical trials in countries throughout Africa.
Because that’s the purpose of Johnson & Johnson’s work in oncology: helping change the lives of all people who live with cancer, while working tirelessly to end the disease once and for all.
This story, originally published on February 2, 2024, has been updated.
