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J&J Launches Satellite Center to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance
J&J’s Satellite Center in Cape Town, South Africa, will bolster early-stage science, innovation, and talent development to tackle antimicrobial resistance and other global health issues.
Johnson & Johnson recently launched the J&J Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery (Satellite Center) to tackle the present and the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with a focus on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB).
The Satellite Center at the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Center is based at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Researchers will drive new solutions to boost translational and discovery research to address some of the world’s most pressing global health issues.
Specifically, Johnson & Johnson and H3D will leverage their individual global, institutional, and regional strengths to bolster the early-stage science, innovation, and talent development needed to tackle AMR.
“Investing to increase the capacity of the innovation ecosystem in Africa is critical to strengthening the R&D pipeline for entrenched and emerging global health challenges,” Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, MD, PhD, global head of global public health research and development at Janssen Research & Development, LLC, said in the announcement.
“By leveraging the unique strengths of H3D and the J&J Centers, we can cultivate the talent and capacity needed to drive innovation in the global fight against AMR,” Akli continued.
The AMR challenge is notable in Africa and Asia, where the transmission of pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and sexually transmitted infections, coupled with limited data surveillance, has created an environment where significant resistance to antibiotics can develop.
Additionally, local researchers continuously face systemic barriers to support, resources, infrastructure, and technological platforms that are key to tackling significant health challenges.
The J&J Center is a critical step in creating larger, global scientific networks to stimulate local innovation and support researchers to drive and advance discovery research and development, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said.
“It is critical that local researchers have the opportunity to investigate the challenges that impact their communities, without having to leave those communities. This collaboration will further foster the talent and provide the tools and opportunity needed to create innovative solutions in public health,” said Kelly Chibale, PhD, founder and director of H3D.
