Janssen Pharmaceuticals Forms Partnerships with CureVac and DCPrime

Jassen Pharmaceuticals has formed two separate vaccine pacts respectively with CureVac, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and DCPrime, a cancer vaccine company. Under the first deal, CureVac has entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson and Johnson company. Under the agreement CureVac will collaborate with Crucell Holland BV, a member of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, on the development of an influenza vaccine based on CureVac’s RNActive technology. RNActive vaccines, using CureVac‘s technology platform, have shown effectiveness and safety in several clinical trials.  Under the collaboration, CureVac will develop optimized RNActive vaccines based on Crucell’s proprietary antigen sequences that will be tested in various models.

In the other pact, DCPrime has entered into a research and optional license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The collaboration has been facilitated in conjunction with the Johnson & Johnson London Innovation Center, where a team of business, science, and transaction experts are identifying and building early-stage collaborations with emerging companies. Under the agreement, Janssen will use DCPrime’s DCOne technology in feasibility studies for the development of a dendritic cell-based vaccine. Additionally, Janssen will have the option to further develop a candidate therapeutic towards regulatory approval.

Source: CureVac and DCPrime