Johnson & Johnson Innovation Opens JLABS @ NYC in Collaboration with New York State and the New York Genome Center

Life Science Incubator Selects New QuickFire Challenge Winners to Join JLABS @ NYC

NEW YORK, June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC today announced the opening of JLABS @ NYC. The 30,000-square foot facility, located at the New York Genome Center in the heart of SoHo, is a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation, New York State and the New York Genome Center. JLABS @ NYC can accommodate up to 30 biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health tech companies and opens with 26 resident companies, including the four winners of the JLABS @ NYC QuickFire Challenge.

“Johnson & Johnson has deep entrepreneurial roots in New York and we are pleased to see our unique JLABS model applied in this rich ecosystem to foster the creation of new healthcare innovations that have the potential to change the trajectory of health for humanity,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson. “Expanding our JLABS network to NYC will link entrepreneurs around the region with Johnson & Johnson Innovation experts, allowing some of the brightest minds in healthcare to work collaboratively in a shared space.”

“This new 21st century incubator supports our efforts to boost economic growth by investing in cutting-edge research and technologies that advance human health,” Governor Cuomo said. “By investing in JLABS @ NYC, we’re connecting early-stage companies with the tools, resources, and networks to succeed while enhancing the life sciences industry and fostering job growth across New York.”

In addition to opening the new site, JLABS @ NYC announced the four winners of the JLABS @ NYC QuickFire Challenge. The winners of the QuickFire Challenge receive one year of residence in JLABS @ NYC, providing access to a bench, workstation and the global JLABS community. The four winners are: Lab11 Therapeutics LLC; Manhattan Biosolutions; Sapience Therapeutics, Inc.; and Mobile Sense Technologies, Inc.

“For too long, patients and consumers have not fully benefitted from the incredible genius throughout the world. NYC and its environs are home to some of the greatest minds in scientific innovation, whose skills and their spirit have so much to offer,” said Melinda Richter, Global Head of JLABS at Johnson & Johnson Innovation. “JLABS provides those innovators the environment they need to deliver life-enhancing, life-saving solutions to the people who need them. By opening up vital industry connections, entrepreneurial programs and a capital-efficient, flexible platform to help alleviate the cost burden that typically slows or kills innovation, we know NYC will light up our world.”

“The New York Genome Center is honored to partner with Johnson & Johnson Innovation and New York State to bring the JLABS network to New York, further strengthening the life sciences sector,” said Cheryl A. Moore, NYGC President and COO. “NYGC works to translate genomic research into new diagnostic tools and treatments for human disease, which is in perfect harmony with JLABS’ vision of providing a platform to support emerging companies in transforming scientific discoveries into breakthrough healthcare products. We are excited to see the future developments from JLABS @ NYC and we appreciate the Governor’s leadership and support in advancing life sciences infrastructure in New York.”

JLABS facilities have incubated more than 370 companies to date, advancing biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health tech programs. JLABS @ NYC will follow the same no-strings-attached approach across all JLABS locations: San Diego; San Francisco; South San Francisco; Boston; Lowell, MA; Houston; Toronto; Beerse, Belgium; and Shanghai.

The following companies are the first to be selected as residents of JLABS @ NYC:

JLABS @ NYC Resident	About the Company
A2A Pharmaceuticals	A2A Pharmaceuticals’ mission is to leverage proprietary computational systems including AI, to accelerate development of novel drug alternatives for life threatening diseases like cancer, bacterial infections and muscular dystrophy.
AMABiotics	AMABiotics is a biopharmaceutical company that develops innovative microbiome-derived medicines to fight age-related diseases. Its research focuses on Gut-Brain axis. AMABiotics’ lead candidate is AMA-101, a potential first-in-class therapy in Parkinson’s disease.
Certa Dose	Certa Dose offers an intuitive system that uses color confirmation to deliver accurate dosing.
Chimeron Bio	Chimeron Bio is developing a novel RNA delivery platform technology with application in several therapeutic areas including oncology, infectious diseases and rare genetic disorders.
Curie Co.	Curie Co. engineers biopolymers and enzymes to replace petrochemical-based ingredients in the personal care and consumer healthcare industry that have been banned in the U.S. and E.U. by the FDA and EC, respectively.
Envisagenics	Envisagenics’ AI platform analyzes RNA-sequencing data to develop cures for diseases caused by splicing errors.
EpiBone	EpiBone is a revolutionary biotech company, whose regenerative technology will give patients a way to help heal themselves by growing living bone and cartilage grafts that are made from their own cells.
EpigenCare	EpigenCare measures current skin quality state and matches profiles to existing products on the market with a direct-to-consumer skincare test based on epigenetic markers and blockchain technology.
Fited	Fited automates the creation of globally accessible, custom-fit, patient-specific medical devices across medical braces, orthosis, prosthesis, and medical implants just from patients’ photos and medical images using Fited’s end-to-end, digital, AI-driven design platform that learns the skills of the craftsman who manually create these devices today.
Human Microbiology Institute	Human Microbiology Institute focuses on cancers, neurodegeneration and autoimmunity – unexplored bacterial pathogens and bacteriophages (phagobiota) as new therapeutic targets, and new AI preventive algorithms.
Health Care Originals	Health Care Originals is an everyday digital health system with a proprietary wearable that provides early warning of flare ups in respiratory illnesses, e.g., asthma, COPD, as early warning signs are difficult to notice resulting in medical attention, disruption and even lifelong issues that could have been avoided.
Lab11 Therapeutics LLC	Lab11 Therapeutics LLC is a startup biotech company developing host-targeting, small molecule, broad spectrum, anti-viral drugs, with the first indication being influenza A virus.
Legomics	Legomics’ chemistry enables the building of a desktop gene writer machine.
Lymph/Axis	Lymph/Axis is the very first percutaneous lymphatic access platform to aspirate and infuse lymphocytes, dendritic cells, plasma fluid, extracellular components, and drug compounds.
Manhattan BioSolutions, Inc	Manhattan BioSolutions’ lead platform is based on the safe, attenuated BCG bacteria targeting mutated cancer driver genes to induce innate and adaptive cancer-specific immune responses.
MedoPad	MedoPad is a CE-approved patient monitoring software solution that brings together modular care monitoring tools, patient data tracking, and patient informational tools to provide an easy-to-use yet holistic digital health solution that can be applied across verticals and therapeutic conditions.
Mobile Sense Technologies, Inc.	Mobile Sense is a digital health technology company providing foundational technology enabling off-the-chest medical wearables for long-term management of cardiac arrhythmias.
Mymee	Mymee’s Digital Therapeutics program reverses the symptoms of chronic autoimmune disease through data analytics and health coaching, reducing or eliminating the need for expensive drugs.
Nanochon	Nanochon is focused on creating a new type of cartilage implant that can replace lost cartilage on a short-term basis and can fuse with the body on a longer term, improving patient outcomes.
NANOWEAR	Nanowear’s connected-self technology and analytics platform for diagnostics and chronic disease management utilizes first-of-its-kind, FDA-cleared, cloth-based nanosensors (Nanowear’s first product, SimpleSense, is an undergarment for remote alert detection in Heart Failure).
Redpin	Redpin’s breakthrough technology platforms enable targeted regulation of neuronal activity in the brain to achieve treatment and control of CNS circuit and other disorders.
Repairogen Corp.	Repairogen Corp. develops potent, robust, naturally-derived, small-molecule active ingredients for skincare that provide powerful anti-aging effects by enhancing DNA repair activity in skin cells.
Savor Health	Savor Health addresses the nutritional issues of cancer patients through an AI-based care platform in order to improve adherence, increase engagement, reduce health spending and empower patients.
Sapience Therapeutics, Inc.	Sapience Therapeutics, Inc., is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing peptide-based therapeutics that inhibit oncogenic and immune-modulatory protein:protein interactions.
Veta Health	Veta Health is a population health company that offers a technology platform that makes patient-generated data clinically meaningful, enabling personalized, protocol-based care anywhere, at any time.

All JLABS locations are accepting applications from biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health tech companies. To learn more, visit www.jnjinnovation.com/jlabs.

About Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC focuses on accelerating all stages of innovation worldwide and forming collaborations between entrepreneurs and Johnson & Johnson’s global healthcare businesses. Johnson & Johnson Innovation provides scientists, entrepreneurs and emerging companies with one-stop access to science and technology experts who can facilitate collaborations across the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under the Johnson & Johnson Innovation umbrella of businesses, we connect with innovators through our regional Innovation Centers; Johnson & Johnson Innovation | JLABS; Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc.; and our business development teams to create customized deals and novel collaborations that speed development of innovations to solve unmet needs in patients. JLABS provides the laboratories, expertise, education, tools and resources needed to help life science startups thrive, all with no strings attached. A Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center (CDI @ TMC) has been established to accelerate the development of medical devices. For more information about Johnson & Johnson Innovation, please visit: www.jnjinnovation.com.

About Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS
Johnson & Johnson Innovation | JLABS (JLABS) is a global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering innovators across a broad healthcare spectrum including pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health tech sectors to create and accelerate the delivery of life-saving, life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients around the world. JLABS achieves this by providing the optimal environment for emerging companies to catalyze growth and optimize their research and development by opening them to vital industry connections, delivering entrepreneurial programs and providing a capital-efficient, flexible platform where they can transform the scientific discoveries of today into the breakthrough healthcare solutions of tomorrow. At JLABS, we value great ideas and are passionate about removing obstacles to success to help innovators unleash the potential of their early scientific discoveries. JLABS is a no-strings-attached model, which means entrepreneurs are free to develop their science while holding on to their intellectual property. JLABS also produces campaigns to seek out the best science called QuickFire Challenges. For more information, visit www.jlabs.jnjinnovation.com or follow @JLABS.

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Related Links