Timeline

Robert Wood Johnson attended the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia as a representative of his company, Seabury & Johnson. At the Medical Congress, a fair attraction, he listened to a lecture by the pioneering physician, Dr. Joseph Lister, who championed his radical new procedure: sterile surgery. Inspired by Lister, Johnson went on to co-found Johnson & Johnson, the world’s first company to mass-produce antiseptic surgical supplies.

Robert Wood Johnson, along with his two younger brothers, James Wood and Edward Mead, launched the company. Its first factory opened in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with just 14 employees: eight women and six men. As president, Robert Wood Johnson established the company’s focus on the future, its values, and inaugurated a legacy of generous employee benefits. In less than a decade, the startup had blossomed into a thriving company. Johnson & Johnson boasted 400 employees and spanned 14 buildings by 1894.

Johnson & Johnson was the first company to mass-produce antiseptic surgical supplies, including sutures, gauze, and bandages. Among its inaugural products were a variety made from sterile, absorbent cotton. Though cotton had been used in surgeries prior, the plant’s natural oils prevented it from being an effective dressing. Additionally, most cotton arrived at hospitals unclean and unprocessed, full of dirt and plant materials. So, when Johnson & Johnson mass-made the first sterilized absorbent cotton in thin sheets, which could be cut to fit the size of the wound, it was a breakthrough in surgical care.

Johnson & Johnson was the first company to make cotton white, sterile, and absorbent. Though cotton had been used in surgeries prior to Johnson & Johnson’s founding, the plant’s natural oils prevented it from being an effective surgical dressing. Additionally, most cotton arrived at hospitals unclean and unprocessed, full of dirt and plant materials. So, when Johnson & Johnson mass-produced the first sterilized, absorbent cotton in thin sheets, which could be cut to fit the size of the wound, it was a breakthrough in surgical care. The company did not patent the technology so that it could be widely adopted by other companies to help save patients’ lives.

Months before Johnson & Johnson was officially incorporated, it was already supporting the local New Brunswick, New Jersey, community. During its first year, the company donated products to help the city’s underserved citizens. Among the supplies were medicated plasters, a popular 19th-century adhesive patch infused with medicine to treat a variety of ailments—and one of the company’s inaugural products.

The Linton Artificial Sponge was an antiseptic substitute for the ordinary sea sponge, a non-sterile supply commonly used and reused during surgery. Developed by company founder Robert Wood Johnson, the Linton Artificial Sponge consisted of sterile absorbent cotton wrapped around a capsule filled with antiseptic liquid. When a surgeon applied pressure to the sponge, the capsule released disinfectant into the cotton. The Linton Artificial Sponge was designed to protect the patient from infection. Plus, it was disposable, which eliminated the issue of cross-contamination.

Before Johnson & Johnson made the first mass-produced antiseptic surgical sutures, doctors often relied on a variety of non-sterile materials, including common sewing thread, to close wounds. Made of silk and other materials, Johnson & Johnson’s sutures were thoroughly washed and then treated with and packaged in antiseptic liquids. This product, along with the growing acceptance of antiseptic surgical practices, contributed to the rising post-operative survival rates.

Johnson & Johnson launched its first line of mass-produced sterile surgical dressings in the U.S. in 1887. Doctors previously wanting to try antiseptic surgery had to sterilize their own dressings, which was especially difficult outside of large hospitals. Among the company’s sterile dressings were Carbolated Antiseptic Gauze, Iodoform Gauze, and a range of sterile cotton products.

Johnson & Johnson published Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment, which quickly became the standard manual on sterile surgery. The guide included step-by-step directions on how to perform sterile operations and a catalog of company products to aid in safe surgery. Johnson & Johnson sales people then distributed the guide across the United States to retail pharmacists, doctors, and surgeons. Within a matter of months, they’d disseminated about 85,000 copies. In the years that followed, Modern Methods was translated into three languages and 4.5 million copies were circulated worldwide.

Frederick Barnett Kilmer was a respected pharmacist, scientist, and public health pioneer before becoming Johnson & Johnson’s scientific director in 1889. At the company, he led its publication of groundbreaking medical manuals and industry journals, including the Hand Book of First Aid in 1901. During his prolific 45-year career at Johnson & Johnson, Kilmer also expanded the company’s scientific laboratory and invented an industrial sterilization process.

Johnson & Johnson sent a large quantity of medical products to help the citizens of Johnstown, Pennsylvania after the devastating May 31, 1889 Johnstown Flood, which destroyed a large section of the city’s downtown and claimed more than 2,000 lives. until the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the Johnstown Flood was the United States’ worst natural disaster.

Johnson & Johnson pioneers industrial steam sterilization in New Brunswick, N.J. By the following year, Johnson & Johnson was using steam sterilization for its mass-produced sterile sutures and sterile surgical dressings, replacing earlier methods of sterilization. Under the direction of its Scientific Director Fred Kilmer, the company built a large, high-capacity steam sterilizer on its New Brunswick manufacturing campus.

The Johnson & Johnson Maternity Kits were the first of their kind. At the time they were created, most babies were born at home without the help of a doctor. The packet included surgical products and easy-to-follow instructions to make childbirth and the first days of life safer for mothers and infants alike. Among its contents were umbilical tape, antiseptic soap, sterile dressings and sutures, and an obstetric chart for birth records.

Revra DePuy founded the DePuy Manufacturing Company, the world’s first orthopaedics company. DePuy’s products replaced earlier, improvised methods of splinting that were commonly used. His Indiana-based business produced the first fitted splints to treat fractured limbs. More than a century later, in 1998, Johnson & Johnson acquired Depuy to grow its orthopaedics business.

Johnson & Johnson begins planning and building a new, expanded bacteriological laboratory on its campus in New Brunswick. The expanded laboratory facilities were part of Johnson & Johnson’s work to advance sterilization science and the practical application of new sterile manufacturing techniques to the production of sterile surgical products. The laboratory expansion was led by Johnson & Johnson Scientific Director Fred Kilmer, who had overseen previous expansions of the laboratory facilities in 1889 and in 1892.

Johnson & Johnson products were used the U.S. Navy’s first hospital ship, USS Solace, amidst the Spanish-American War. The ship’s surgical crew performed the first antiseptic surgery at sea, which was largely made possible by company’s sterile surgical products.

Johnson & Johnson begins construction on a new cotton mill in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The new state of the art building is part of the company’s rapid early growth and the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities. Johnson & Johnson applied research from its scientific laboratory to the design of the new mill to improve the processing of raw cotton into woven gauze for sterile surgical dressings. Unlike many manufacturing buildings in the 1890s, the Johnson & Johnson Cotton Mill featured improvements in lighting and ventilation for the health of employees and used purified water in the processing of raw materials.

Today, the 1900 Galveston Hurricane remains the deadliest storm in U.S. history. Before the storm, the Texas port city was among the country’s most prosperous, but the hurricane’s 145 mile-per-hour winds and strong surf reduced Galveston to rubble. In the wake of the disaster, Johnson & Johnson sent medical products and monetary aid to help treat survivors and help them rebuild their lives.

The San Francisco Earthquake and fires that followed decimated the Bay Area, killing 3,000 and leaving more than 200,000 people homeless. In total, the disaster destroyed 28,000 homes and buildings. It took days for survivors to extinguish the blazes and months to clean up the city. Upon hearing about the crisis only hours after the quake hit, Johnson & Johnson sprang to action. Understanding that many of the survivors would need emergency care, the company shipped railroad cars full of medical supplies to San Francisco and sent monetary aid. Company employees also took up a personal collection and sent their own contributions to help San Franciscans. Johnson & Johnson sent the most aid of any company to the Bay Area.

Founded in 1907, the Laurel Club was an employee organization launched by women, exclusively for women. It was a space for education, wellness, socializing, professional development, and community service. Their earliest causes centered around aiding women and children in need. The club supported hundreds of local orphans, holding annual Christmas feasts and fêtes for kids. The members also launched a clinic for New Brunswick mothers and infants and helped rehabilitate wounded veterans after World War I.

Completed in 1908, Johnson & Johnson’s Power House generated electricity to run the company’s machinery. Initially, the manufacturing equipment was steam-powered, but with the advent of the new technology, Johnson & Johnson was eager to upgrade. While many factories at the time still ran on steam, through prudent financial planning and a foresight for technology, Johnson & Johnson was able to convert. Today, the stunning brick building remains the oldest standing structure on the company’s New Brunswick campus.

During the Great Depression, Johnson & Johnson inaugurated a dental clinic in New Brunswick with free dental exams for employees during working hours, to improve employee health by improving their oral health. During its first year, the clinic conducted more than 1,600 exams, leading to treatments ranging from filling cavities to healing infections.

Robert Wood Johnson II, son of the company founder, became president in 1932. During World War II, Johnson was promoted to the military rank of one-star brigadier general, earning his nickname, “the General.” General Robert Wood Johnson was best known for writing, Our Credo, which outlined the company’s dedication to corporate responsibility, long before that was a common phrase. Our Credo serves as the heart of the company’s philosophy, and its strong principles today continue to define the business and guide its success.

Amidst the Great Depression, General Robert Wood Johnson wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlining his suggestions for the nation’s economic recovery. At a time when more than 20 percent of Americans remained unemployed, Johnson was keen on creating new jobs. The solution? He proposed higher wages and shorter hours. Johnson released the letter to the press articulating his plan, which generated headlines across the country.

Frustrated and saddened by the Great Depression, General Robert Wood Johnson put his thoughts to paper in the earliest written expression of the values in Our Credo. He penned Try Reality: A Discussion of Hours, Wages, and the Industrial Future, which he then sent to industrialists across the country. The pamphlet, supporting corporate social responsibility, was not a hit among the business elite. Johnson’s ethically guided approach was ahead of his time.

Johnson & Johnson founded the operating company, Ortho Research Laboratories, Inc. to manufacture prescription women’s health products in Linden, New Jersey.

Johnson & Johnson distributes a five percent annual bonus to employees during the recession of 1937-1938, a 13-month economic downturn during the Great Depression. The company had also given bonuses in June and December of 1936. The bonuses were designed to help employees and their families during the hard economic times of the Depression, an expression of CEO Robert Wood Johnson II’s philosophy about the responsibilities of business.

During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed General Robert Wood Johnson as the head of the Smaller War Plants Corporation in Washington, D.C. In this role, he managed the wartime contracts for all U.S. factories with under 500 employees. Johnson championed small business, ensuring that they, too, were able to produce supplies for the war effort.

On the eve of Johnson & Johnson becoming a publicly traded company, General Robert Wood Johnson wrote Our Credo. Our Credo articulated the company’s dedication to corporate social responsibility long before the term came into popular use. It was more than just a moral compass; it was a recipe for business success. Today, it continues to be the company’s guiding philosophy and inform all aspects of its work.

When Johnson & Johnson went public, its stock was sold on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time. By 1944, the company had drastically expanded its workforce, production scale, and scope—growing from a single factory with just 14 employees in 1886 to locations around the world, including 31 operating companies and thousands of employees by the mid-1940s. Johnson & Johnson had become one of the leading American healthcare companies and was poised for future growth.

World War II veteran and Johnson & Johnson employee Vincent Utz created “A Day in Modern Industry,” a program for high school students to learn about the connections between education and careers. The program brought local students to Johnson & Johnson, where they shadowed employees in labs, manufacturing facilities, and offices, to learn about the range of careers available and the education needed to pursue them. The program achieved national recognition and continued for more than a decade. This photo features a high school student who shadowed President Robert Wood Johnson II during the program.

Johnson & Johnson acquired G. F. Merson Ltd., a well-respected surgical supply company. The Scotland-based business produced sterile surgical sutures that were so exceptional, none other than Dr. Joseph Lister, the father of antiseptic surgery, was among their proud customers. The acquisition provided Johnson & Johnson with the plans and manufacturing capacity to grow its locally managed suture business in the United Kingdom.

In the late 1940s, Johnson & Johnson expanded its manufacturing and research staff to keep pace with the company’s growing worldwide operations. Among the products introduced at this time that resulted from the company’s increased research and development efforts were a new absorbable hemostatic surgical dressing and an antiseptic soap for use by doctors and nurses. Johnson & Johnson’s expanded research staff in 1949 included many women scientists, especially analytical chemists and microbiologists.

Johnson & Johnson opened its first operating company in the Philippines in 1956.

Johnson & Johnson opened its first operating company in India in 1957.

In 1958, the AO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen), a research study group, was founded in Switzerland by orthopaedists to further advance the science of treating bone injuries. Synthes, the company that grew out of that research, pioneered treatments for joint reconstruction, spinal orthopaedic trauma, and craniomaxillofacial injuries. Synthes was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2012.

Johnson & Johnson acquired the pharmaceutical firm McNeil Laboratories in 1959. McNeil began as a family-run pharmacy in 1879 and later expanded to include the manufacture of presecription medicines.

Johnson & Johnson acquired the Swiss company Cilag Chemie, expanding its presence in the growing field of pharmaceutical medicines.

Johnson & Johnson acquired Janssen Pharmaceutica, a Belgian research and drug company founded by Dr. Paul Janssen—one of the century’s greatest innovators. Over the course of Dr. Janssen’s prolific career, he held more than 100 patents and authored or co-authored more than 850 scientific publications. Today, 11 Janssen treatments are included on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.

With General Robert Wood Johnson’s retirement, Philip B. Hofmann became the first chairman and CEO who was not a member of the founding family. Hofmann was a career employee who first joined Johnson & Johnson more than three decades earlier and worked his way up from sales clerk to the presidency. Hofmann oversaw the company’s expansion into pharmaceutical medicines and its continued global growth.

Sutures from Ethicon were used in the world’s first successful human to human heart transplant in Capetown, South Africa.

HALDOL® was a pioneering medication for schizophrenia that allowed patients to be treated at home rather than in institutions. HALDOL was discovered by Dr. Paul Janssen and his team of researchers, and was essential in aiding in outpatient psychiatric care by reducing the pressure on inpatient facilities overburdened with patients.

Johnson & Johnson’s Arterial Graft was approved by FDA in 1969. Through surgery, the arterial graft replaced human arteries no longer able to carry blood to parts of the body. This innovation was a breakthrough and immediately became a lifesaving cardiological tool available to vascular surgeons.

Richard Sellars was named Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson. He led the company until 1976. During his tenure, he made the decision that Johnson & Johnson would remain in New Brunswick (its home since 1886) and built its new world headquarters there, forming a public-private partnership to revitalize the city.

Johnson & Johnson has been a pioneer in partnerships and programs that reduce the suffering and stigma of obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula is a birth injury caused by prolonged labor and is common in areas where it’s difficult to access professional medical care. Johnson & Johnson was one of the first companies to partner with Dr. Catherine Hamlin at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia, beginning in the 1980s, with the donation of sutures for fistula surgeries. The company’s involvement grew to include product donations, support for comprehensive treatment, surgeon training, community outreach in Ethiopia and beyond, and partnerships with other local and international organizations to provide surgical treatment, as well as life and job skills training to help women suffering from the treatable condition.

In 1974, Ethicon, Inc. (part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies) introduced VICRYL® Synthetic Absorbable Sutures. These sutures’ molecular structure was developed to retain tensile strength through the healing process and then dissolve and be rapidly absorbed by the body when no longer needed.

James E. Burke was named Johnson & Johnson’s new CEO and remained in the leadership position through 1989. During his tenure, he expanded the company into new areas of healthcare, including vision care, mechanical wound closure, and diabetes management. Amidst the 1982 TYLENOL^® tampering incidents, Burke responded effectively and thoughtfully, helping to quickly restore public trust.

Johnson & Johnson begins its partnership with Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships, which provides free lifesaving surgery on ships with state-of-the art medical facilities, for people in areas in which medical care is almost non-existent. Johnson & Johnson provides hygiene kits and surgical products like Ethicon sutures to help the organization provide timely surgical care around the world.

The first one-use skin stapler was released by Ethicon, Inc. (now part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech). The PROXIMATE^® Disposable Skin Stapler closed wounds ten times faster than traditional sutures. This minimized scarring and shortened the period of time patients were under anesthesia, making surgery safer than before. Because it was disposable, the stapler eliminated the risk of cross-infection between patients.

Johnson & Johnson announced its plan to remain in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and to build a new world headquarters there and work with other partners to revitalize the city.

Johnson & Johnson opened its first operating company in China, Xian-Janssen Pharmaceuticals. It was the first western healthcare joint venture in China. That same year, Johnson & Johnson opens its first operating company in Egypt.

ACUVUE^® Brand Contact Lenses revolutionized the industry. They were the first disposable contact lenses that could be worn for up to a week. One-use lenses decreased cost, reduced the spread of germs, and eliminated the need for intensive cleaning, which was required of other extended-wear products. Fewer invasive washes made them more comfortable on the eye.

Since 1988, Johnson & Johnson has partnered with Operation Smile to fund medical missions for children suffering from cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial abnormalities. The company has funded reconstructive surgery on more than 1,400 children with cleft lips. With the help of medical professionals around the world, Operation Smile has performed over 220,000 life-altering surgeries since its founding in 1982. Over the last few years, Johnson & Johnson has taken this partnership a step further, mobilizing the caring power of its associates in support of this crucial humanitarian work. In 2016 alone, the company healed over 1,000 smiles worldwide.

The PDS^® II Synthetic Absorbable Sutures hit the market in 1989. Absorbable sutures eliminated the need to endure a second surgery to remove internal sutures that would constrict blood vessels and tissues if they remained in the body. The product offered significantly longer post-surgery, bodily support than other absorbable sutures. They were soft, pliable, and provided reliable absorption.

Under Ralph S. Larsen’s leadership as Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson expanded its acquisitions, growing its reach in the field of healthcare. The company acquired Neutrogena Corporation, Kodak’s Clinical Diagnostics business, Cordis Corporation, and Centocor. As a result of Larsen’s leadership, Johnson & Johnson’s market value skyrocketed 1200 percent, from $14 to $182 billion.

In 1993, 1-DAY ACUVUE^® Brand Contact Lenses became the first daily disposable contact lenses. They eliminated the need for cleaning, disinfecting solutions, and storage. Disposable lenses assured crisp, clear, uncompromised vision with ease. The product was made possible by Johnson & Johnson’s automated, patented manufacturing process in which lenses were made in a continually soft, wet state that assured perfect reproducibility.

The LEUSTATIN Injection was introduced to treat the rare and fatal hairy cell leukemia (HCL), a cancer that attacks the blood and bone marrow. LEUSTATIN was given to HCL patients in one continuous intravenous treatment over a seven-day period rather than in several separate treatments over a period of months, as then required by other cancer medications.

A Johnson & Johnson operating company released one of the world’s first FDA-approved coronary stents, the PALMAZ-SCHATZ Balloon-Expandable Stent. The tube-shaped coronary device that was inserted into arteries, revolutionized the field of cardiology, providing doctors with a new, lifesaving tool. Once inserted, the stent ensured vessels remained open so blood could freely flow to and from the heart. Johnson & Johnson divested its coronary stent business in 2011.

Founded in 1895 by chemist and pharmaceutical salesman Revra DePuy, DePuy was the world’s first orthopaedics company. Based in Warsaw, Indiana, the company revolutionized the way orthopaedic injuries and conditions were treated. Among its inventions were the first hip and knee replacement implants. Today, along with 2012 acquisition Synthes, Inc., it is part of Johnson & Johnson’s global orthopaedics business.

Ethicon, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson operating company) introduced DERMABOND®, a topical skin adhesive for closing trauma-induced lacerations and surgical incisions that otherwise would require sutures or staples. Applied with a light brush stroke to a cleaned wound while the edges were held together, DERMABOND was particularly effective for children because the procedure was less traumatic than receiving traditional stitches. The adhesive reached full strength within two and a half minutes and kept the skin bound as wounds healed. The product eliminated the need for a follow-up visit to remove sutures and minimized scarring.

Centocor, one of the first American biotechnology companies, was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1999. When biotech became the next frontier in science, Johnson & Johnson made strategic acquisitions in the field to expand its research and drug production capacity. Centocor manufactured a range of biopharmaceutical products and diagnostic systems, including a medication to treat rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disorders, like Crohn’s disease.

William C. Weldon, who had spent his entire professional career working for Johnson & Johnson became its Chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, the company undertook some of the largest acquisitions to this date in its history. The company also expanded its reach to develop new HIV/AIDS research and treatments, in addition to taking on new initiatives in health and wellness.

VICRYL® Antibacterial Sutures were the first suture of their kind. In effectively combating the bacteria that caused infection, the sutures helped mitigate the risk of complications associated with surgery. VICRYL Antibacterial Sutures paid tribute to Johnson & Johnson’s heritage: sterile surgical sutures were among the company’s first products.

ACUVUE OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR® PLUS Technology were made from a unique silicone hydrogel material, providing exceptional comfort, superior UV protection, and versatile use to fit with a variety of prescriptions. Above all, they were a breakthrough for consumers suffering from dry or tired eyes, keeping eyes hydrated and energized for a full week. The lenses were approved for daytime and extended wear, up to six nights and seven days of continuous coverage.

The Task Force for Global Health, Johnson & Johnson, and the World Health Organization collaborated with global health partners to found Children Without Worms. The initiative administered VERMOX™ (using a school-based approach) and promoted clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education to break the cycle of reinfection. Johnson & Johnson committed to providing up to 200 million doses of VERMOX for deworming treatments each year through 2020, and has committed to an extension of its global product donations of VERMOX® Chewable (mebendazole chewable 500mg tablets), the company’s intestinal worms treatment, through 2030.

The CARTO® 3 System, the most advanced three-dimensional imaging technology, was launched globally in 2009. This system took physicians on a visual journey through the heart, mapping vital cardiological details in full color and in real time. The system helped specialists pinpoint abnormalities and fix them using a procedure known as ablation—the surgical removal of the tissue.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson released ZYTIGA® in 2011. It was the first oral, once-daily medication for use in combination with prednisone for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) who have received prior chemotherapy. This new treatment gave men living with cancer an opportunity for an extended life.

Alex Gorsky was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson. He began his career at the company in 1988 as a sales representative for Janssen Pharmaceutica and over the course of 15 years, worked his way up to positions of increasing responsibilities. During his tenure as CEO, Gorsky has advocated for diversity and inclusion at Johnson & Johnson and has positioned the company to address great healthcare needs of the present and future: “The world today requires the very best that Johnson & Johnson has to offer, and we are constantly striving to come up with ways we can innovate and lead.”

Johnson & Johnson acquired the Swiss company Synthes, a pioneer in orthopaedic medical devices. This business was combined with DePuy to form DePuy Synthes. Together, the two organizations have formed the world’s most innovative and comprehensive orthopaedics business. DePuy Synthes specializes in a wide variety of medical technologies, from joint reconstruction to trauma response, sports medicine to facial fracture repair.

IMBRUVICA™ (ibrutinib) was introduced to treat several types of chronic cancer, including leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM). The once-daily IMBRUVICA™ was one of the first medications to receive FDA approval via the Breakthrough Therapy Designation pathway and was proven to significantly reduce death rates in clinical trials.

Janssen Biotech, Inc. released the DARZALEX® (daratumumab) injection, the first Human Anti-CD38 Monoclonal Antibody available for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer in the bone marrow’s plasma cells. These cells are vital to maintaining a healthy immune system. DARZALEX works with the patient’s immune system and is approved for patients who have received three or more prior therapies.

A new, chewable version of Janssen Pharmaceutica’s VERMOX™ was approved to treat patients one year of age and older with gastrointestinal infections caused by two forms of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). VERMOX™ CHEWABLE will be part of Johnson & Johnson’s longstanding product donation program to help reduce the global burden of STH, and provide an alternative treatment, especially in areas without access to clean drinking water.

Johnson & Johnson acquires Abbott Medical Optics to broaden its ability to meet vision care needs. The acquisition adds products in cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery and consumer eye health to the company’s vision care business, helping Johnson & Johnson address one of the largest and most underserved segments in health care: eye health.

The U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration approves ERLEADA™ (apalutamide), a next-generation androgen receptor inhibitor from the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (NM-CRPC). ERLEADA™ is the first FDA-approved treatment for these patients.

Ethicon, Inc. acquires Auris Health, a developer of robotic surgical technologies, with an initial focus in lung cancer. With Auris Health’s robotic platform technology, currently used in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the lung, Johnson & Johnson will advance its commitment to fighting lung cancer and expand its digital surgery portfolio across multiple surgical specialties.

Johnson & Johnson acquires Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company that discovers and develops novel therapies for immune-mediated diseases. The acquisition will help advance patient care in auto-antibody driven diseases with substantial unmet needs in maternal-fetal disorders, neuroimmune disorders, rheumatology, dermatology and autoimmune hematology.

To address longstanding inequities rooted in systemic racism that threaten health in communities of color across the United States, Johnson & Johnson announced $100 million in commitments and collaborations over the next five years to invest in and promote health equity solutions for Black people and other communities of color in the U.S. These efforts include increasing the representation of people of color in medical, scientific, and health professions; strengthening community health; increasing the diversity of clinical trials, and more.

Joaquin Duato was appointed the eighth CEO of Johnson & Johnson. He began his career with the company in 1989 in Madrid, Spain and earned positions of increasing global responsibility, which included leading the company’s global pharmaceutical business and in 2018, becoming vice chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Executive Committee. A dual citizen of Spain and the U.S., Mr. Duato is the company’s first CEO from outside the U.S. He is a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and for advancing and protecting the health of people worldwide: “As champions of equitable, high-value care, we will put the patient at the center of everything we do to protect the health of future generations.”