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      Johnson & Johnson Opens First Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery in Asia Pacific at Duke-NUS to Advance Dengue Research

      Johnson & Johnson Opens First Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery in Asia Pacific at Duke-NUS to Advance Dengue Research

      The new Satellite Center will work to accelerate discovery research against flaviviruses, including dengue, which impacts 400 million people each year

      This effort will build on Johnson & Johnson’s decade-long legacy and ongoing collaboration with Duke-NUS in early-stage dengue research

      The Satellite Center is the first Asia Pacific site in Johnson & Johnson’s network of research collaborations aimed at addressing entrenched and emerging pandemic threats

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      SINGAPORE, June 21, 2022 – Johnson & Johnson (the Company) today announced the launch of the new J&J Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery (Satellite Center) at Singapore’s Duke-NUS Medical School, jointly established by Duke University and the National University of Singapore (NUS) as a graduate-entry medical school and research powerhouse. As the first of the J&J Centers for Global Health Discovery (J&J Centers) in the Asia-Pacific region, the Satellite Center at Duke-NUS aims to help drive new solutions to address flaviviruses, which disproportionately impact communities across the region, by bringing together the talent and expertise of the world’s largest healthcare company with that of a leading academic institution.

      The launch of the newest Satellite Center at Duke-NUS comes at a critical time. More than 400 million people are infected with flaviviruses each year and half of the global population is at risk, with Asia experiencing nearly three-quarters of the global burden. A warming planet means that billions more people could be impacted in the coming decades as the animal vectors that carry flaviviruses spread beyond the tropical regions where they have traditionally thrived.

      Flaviviruses, like dengue and Zika, cause significant illness and death, yet no specific antiviral therapeutics are currently available. The frequency of dengue outbreaks has grown considerably over the past two decades, as evidenced by surges in places like Singapore. After experiencing its worst outbreak in history in 2020, Singapore is facing another major outbreak this year with more than 8,000 cases recorded in the first six months of 2022, exceeding the number of cases reported in the whole of 2021.

      “Singapore is one of the epicenters of the dengue threat as well as a leading innovation and research hub, making Duke-NUS a natural match for our vision to address flaviviruses by advancing innovative science,” said Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Global Public Health R&D at Janssen Research & Development, LLC. “Together, we can each leverage our unique strengths to translate action in the lab into solutions at the last mile that can help protect people against one of the world’s most significant and rising health threats.”

      The J&J Centers for Global Health Discovery (J&J Centers) are a pillar of Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to advance early-stage, breakthrough science where research is needed most and health challenges are most acute. The latest Satellite Center builds on a longstanding collaboration between the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and Duke-NUS and marks the latest effort of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre to develop a collaborative Discovery District on its Campus to drive bench-to-bedside innovations. The collaboration will unite expertise from across the scientific community in the Asia-Pacific region to further cultivate Singapore as a hub of discovery research, while advancing R&D to address the unmet medical need of flaviviruses.

      “The establishment of the Satellite Center at Duke-NUS builds upon our strong track record in flavivirus research and bench-to-bedside innovations, and will facilitate antiviral drug discovery for the prevention and treatment of flavivirus-associated diseases that are affecting communities in Southeast Asia and beyond. The collaboration is both timely, in view of the impending threat of climate change, and purposeful in realizing the School’s vision of transforming medicine and improving lives,” said Professor Patrick Casey, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS.

      Research at the Satellite Center at Duke-NUS will be led by Professor Subhash Vasudevan, Ph.D., Duke-NUS’ EID Program, and Olivia Goethals, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Global Public Health R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV.

      Crowdsourcing Innovation through the Flavivirus QuickFire Challenge

      Complementing the efforts of the Satellite Center, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, together with Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health, is proud to launch the Global Health Discovery QuickFire Challenge: Flavivirus Infections. The Challenge invites innovators to submit potentially ground-breaking ideas aiming to treat, control, or prevent flavivirus disease. The innovator(s) with the best potential solution will receive grant funding from a total pool of $300,000, virtual access to the JLABS Asia Pacific community, including a dedicated workstation for one year at JLABS @ Shanghai, and mentorship from experts at the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.

      Applications will be accepted until November 4, 2022. To apply for the Global Health Discovery QuickFire Challenge: Flavivirus Infections, please visit the application portal.

      Johnson & Johnson’s Efforts to Tackle Dengue

      The Company’s dengue compound discovery program started in 2007 to address the unmet medical need for treatment and prevention options for the dengue virus. The efforts at the new Satellite Center will build on more than a decade of work by Johnson & Johnson to accelerate innovation in the development of new potential preventive and therapeutic options for dengue.

      In 2021, Johnson & Johnson announced the completion of a Phase 1, first-in-human clinical study evaluating a dengue-specific antiviral small molecule, with data from the study showing the antiviral to be safe and well-tolerated in humans. Additional preclinical data demonstrated the antiviral’s favorable safety profile and effectiveness at preventing dengue in mouse and non-human primate models.

      “While there is an urgent need for new tools to address diseases like dengue, especially in the face of climate change, we believe we can accelerate research to move even faster,” said Marnix Van Loock, Ph.D., Lead for Emerging Pathogens, Global Public Health R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV.Building on our shared legacies, the Satellite Center at Duke-NUS will help jumpstart the innovation we need to strengthen the R&D pipeline and address the burden of these diseases.”

      Duke-NUS has played a critical role in driving progress to tackle dengue, most recently by working with SingHealth’s Investigational Medicine Unit to conduct a Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating Janssen’s antiviral compound for the treatment of dengue.

      About the J&J Centers for Global Health Discovery

      Johnson & Johnson is committed to addressing the dual gap in innovation and health equity through the establishment of the J&J Centers for Global Health Discovery. In joining forces with other institutions, leveraging regional networks and growing in scope, they provide long-term opportunities to mentor much-needed talent in the discovery sciences and empower people worldwide to drive R&D to address some of the most pressing challenges in global health.

      The first J&J Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery launched in July 2021 at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), which is focused specifically on developing cutting edge science, from biology to data sciences, to help build the next generation of drug regimens needed to treat all forms of tuberculosis (TB).

      In April 2022, Johnson & Johnson launched the second Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery at the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, in Cape Town, South Africa. Driven by some of the leading researchers in Africa and discovery science, the Satellite Center is focused on outpacing the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by accelerating innovation against multidrug-resistance Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB), which are particularly concerning to public health.

      While the past decade has seen a consistent decline in global funding for basic science, including discovery and pre-clinical development for neglected diseases, there are clear measures that can be taken to turn this tide. The J&J Centers are a crucial step in reversing this trend.

      To learn more, visit jnj.com/global-public-health/discovery-centers.

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      About Johnson & Johnson

      At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That’s why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world’s largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJNews.

      About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

      At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular, Metabolism, & Retina; Immunology; Infectious Diseases & Vaccines; Neuroscience; Oncology; and Pulmonary Hypertension.

      Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at www.twitter.com/JanssenGlobal. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

      Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

      This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things: future operating and financial performance, product development, market position and business strategy. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: economic factors, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product research and development, including uncertainty of clinical success and obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products; challenges to patents; the impact of patent expirations; the ability of the Company to successfully execute strategic plans; the impact of business combinations and divestitures; manufacturing difficulties or delays, internally or within the supply chain; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; significant adverse litigation or government action, including related to product liability claims; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including tax laws and global healthcare reforms; trends toward healthcare cost containment; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of healthcare products and services; financial instability of international economies and legal systems and sovereign risk; increased scrutiny of the healthcare industry by government agencies; the Company’s ability to satisfy the necessary conditions to consummate the separation of the Company’s Consumer Health business on a timely basis or at all; the Company’s ability to successfully separate the Company’s Consumer Health business and realize the anticipated benefits from the separation; the New Consumer Health Company’s ability to succeed as a standalone publicly traded company; and risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, such as the scope and duration of the outbreak, government actions and restrictive measures implemented in response, material delays and cancellations of medical procedures, supply chain disruptions and other impacts to the business, or on the Company’s ability to execute business continuity plans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Any forward looking statement made in this release speaks only as of the date of this release. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

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