Carna Biosciences enters collaboration with Janssen Biotech

Japan-based Carna Biosciences (TYO: 4572) has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Janssen Biotech, a subsidiary of US health care giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), to further develop and commercialize compounds from one of Carna’s small-molecule protein kinase inhibitor programs.

Under the terms of the agreement, facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, California and Asia Pacific, Carna Biosciences, a 2003 spinoff of Japan Organon, will receive an initial upfront payment and is eligible to receive additional milestone payments upon achievement of certain developmental, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Carna Biosciences will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties on the net sales of commercialized licensed products.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Janssen to further develop one of our kinase inhibitor programs. Our hope is that our discovery efforts will someday make a meaningful difference in the lives of people living with immunologic disease,” said Kohichiro Yoshino, founder, president and chief executive of Carna Biosciences. “This agreement with Janssen is an important first step towards the goal of discovering and developing significant therapeutic solutions for improving human health. Carna Biosciences will continue to identify and develop innovative compounds with strong potential as therapeutic kinase inhibitors,” Dr Yoshino added.