Leiden University and LUMC strengthen ties with Janssen pharmaceutical company
Leiden University, the LUMC and Janssen have signed a partnership agreement stating that they will collaborate in different areas, including infectious disease prevention, clinical tests, drug production and e-health. By joining forces, the three partners will be able to provide better, more innovative care to patients.
Promising corona vaccine
The partners signed the partnership agreement on 16 September. Leiden University, and its biomedics from the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), and the LUMC have been working with Janssen for years already. This Leiden company is part of the American company Johnson & Johnson and is seen globally as a promising contender for an effective coronavirus vaccine. The LUMC is now testing this candidate vaccine together with the LACDR, which is also based at the Leiden Bio Science Park. The partners will also intensify their collaboration in research into other infectious diseases, tuberculosis in particular, and potential vaccines for these.
Drug development
Alongside fighting infectious diseases, the partners will strengthen their ties in the area of data science, e-health, clinical research, talent development and new technology. The University, the LUMC and Janssen will make more use of one another’s research facilities such as the various biobanks. Leiden Bio Science Park once again proves its value as a driver of effective drug development: all the key players – research institutes, hospital and pharmaceutical companies – are close together and can make use of one another’s expertise.