The new episode of ennTV is out, and this one is a special edition focusing on the completed acquisition of Synthes which closed earlier this year.  This special episode takes a look inside the new organization, the DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and gives a bit of the rich history of both companies (DePuy goes back to 1895; Synthes to 1958).  Since, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, I’m going to let this episode of ennTV speak for itself with a detailed look at the newest member of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, and the many ways in which it helps patients.

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By Jay P. Siegel, M.D., Chief Biotechnology Officer and Head, Global Regulatory Affairs, Janssen R&D

The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research honors the work of an active scientist in academia, industry or a scientific institute and recognizes scientific excellence in the advance of healthcare knowledge, while fulfilling responsibilities in the community.  The award was named after Dr. Paul Janssen, an extraordinarily gifted scientist who revolutionized modern medicine and inspired many who follow in his footsteps.  Today we announced the winners of the 2012 award:  Dr. Victor Ambros and Dr. Gary Rukvun, the co-discoverers of micro-RNA.

I am pleased that we can recognize the transformational discovery, as well as the collaborative spirit, of Drs. Ambros and Ruvkun with the 2012 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. Their tireless search for answers, as well as their partnership, echo the passionate pursuit of scientific knowledge for the benefit of patients exemplified by Dr. Paul.

When micro-RNA was first discovered in a roundworm by Dr. Victor Ambros’ lab in the early 1990’s its function and its relevance to humans was unknown.  What he and his lab found appeared to be a peculiarly small stretch of RNA which bound to other RNA in the worm’s cells.

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From Bryant Ison, Senior Brand Manager, BAND-AID® Brand

Kids are always the toughest critics.  My kids have honed this talent.  Over the years, they have pointed out every one of my grey hairs, every extra pound I’ve gained and every wrinkle (that they’ve created.)  So, even though the new BAND-AID® Brand Magic Vision app – featuring Disney’s The Muppets – represented the brand perfectly and met our business goals I was worried when I gathered them around the iPad to show them the app for the first time.

I pulled out a box of Muppets bandages and started up the app.  As they waited for the app to boot, I felt my 4-yr old start to slide off my lap in boredom as if to say “TV doesn’t take this long to load.”  However, once the familiar music started up, he jumped back up on my lap, eyes wide.

What happened next was a mixture of mayhem and delight.  The kids went absolutely bananas when they saw Kermit singing right in front of them. The youngest spent at least 3 minutes trying to figure out where Kermit the Frog was on the other side of the iPad.  My oldest occupied himself with composing creative “family” photos with The Great Gonzo and Miss Piggy. 

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From Wim Parys, Global Head, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Janssen R&D

This week, I had the opportunity to join a Johnson & Johnson delegation attending the Pacific Health Summit, to meet with global health leaders and discuss an important question facing all of us: how do we get appropriate technologies to the right people at the right price? The theme of this year’s Summit revolved around “Game Changers” — those innovations that make products and services as accessible and affordable for developing nations as they are in the developing world.

Dr. Paul Janssen, our company’s namesake, recognized that transformative healthcare solutions depend on “what’s new”.  Our collective challenge is to advance technological innovation in ways that balance reward, affordability for patients and uncompromising quality. To get there, innovation needs sustained nurturing, investors need compensation for the costs and risks of investing in R&D, and researchers need ways to identify, develop, and bring to market the most effective solutions.

That’s why collaboration is so important.  During the conference I spoke of our work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to address neglected tropical diseases, our cooperation with the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) to support the development of microbicides to help women prevent sexual transmission of HIV, and our collaboration with the TB Alliance to develop the first new treatment for tuberculosis in more than 40 years.

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From John Wilson, Vice President, Oncology Sales & Marketing, Janssen Biotech, Inc.

Any trip into unfamiliar terrain can be daunting, particularly if you are without the aid of critical information such as guide books, GPS or at the very least, a map to navigate the way.  This is especially true if the journey you are about to embark on is a cancer diagnosis.

As an African-American man, I am acutely aware of the increased health risks we face, including the risk of prostate cancer.  And, I know first-hand the important role the women in our lives – wives, mothers, daughters, aunts and nieces – play in helping us get to the doctor for check-ups and having conversations about our health. Proactively seeking information and enrolling a team to assist us are critical factors in this battle and more importantly, these actions are entirely within our control.

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects the African-American community, where men are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and their risk of dying from the disease is more than double that of white males.  Because of this, education and open engagement with healthcare teams is a critical way to address this public health concern. 

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The new episode of ennTV  is out, with stories about your body, your brain and your skin.  The first story features a new skin cancer awareness program from our operating company Neutrogena Corporation.  As part of that program, when you buy a Neutrogena sunscreen product, they will donate one to a family in need to help protect people in the community from the type of sun exposure that can increase skin cancer risks.  The second story gives you a look inside TEDxJNJ  — it’s just like the famous TED talks, but this series is for Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies employees, to showcase and spur innovation.  And finally, Chris Jordan from our operating company the Human Performance Institute shows you an easy way to keep fit while travelling using exercise bands.  I’m definitely going to have to try that one!

Here’s the main episode:

And here are the individual stories with more information:

Neutrogena’s Skin Cancer Awareness Program:

TEDx Conferences at Johnson & Johnson:

Fitness Tips from Chris Jordan:

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From Roy Twyman, MD, Vice President, Head of CNS Development, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, LLC

There is good reason to believe that we’re entering a new age of research against the sixth leading cause of death in the United States – Alzheimer’s disease.  Extraordinary progress is being made in using genetics to better understand this devastating disease and develop diagnostics and treatments for it.  Unprecedented collaborative efforts among academic and industry researchers are propelling progress forward.  But more research needs to be done, and families with a history of Alzheimer’s disease are needed to participate in clinical trials and contribute their genetic information, which can be done anonymously.

During the past decade, a new research approach has emerged to better understand Alzheimer’s disease and to find ways to predict and stem its progress.  Scientists from industry, government and academia are working together and sharing information about the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease.  The National Institute of Aging (NIA) Genetics Initiative has played a significant role in encouraging research institutions to work together to recruit families and share information.  And thanks to several collaborative efforts of researchers in the United States and worldwide, DNA samples have been collected from tens of thousands of families with members who do and do not have late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

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From: Anthony Carter, Chief Diversity Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Those who know me know that I am passionate about the subject of diversity and inclusion. First and foremost — it’s one of the best things to do — for the people who depend on our products, for our employees and for the long-term success of Johnson & Johnson. As Chief Diversity Officer, more importantly as a person, diversity and inclusion is important to me because I work with colleagues who represent a variety of differences – from culture, to background, religion and sexual orientation, and work experience. Every day, I learn the importance of how authenticity and the ability to bring our true selves to Johnson & Johnson creates a stronger culture of inclusion.

World Day for Diversity raises awareness of the richness of world cultures and the opportunities that cultural diversity can bring to societies. In 2002, the UN General Assembly declared May 21 as the World Day for Cultural Diversity [bold text will link to website] for Dialogue and Development following the adoption in 2001 of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

I am proud to say Johnson & Johnson has joined the UN’s ‘Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion’ campaign along with 40 organizations from around the world, aimed at engaging people to Do One Thing to support cultural diversity and inclusion.

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By Al Iannuzzi
Sr. Director Product Stewardship, WW Environment, Health & Safety

Having recently returned from the CleanMed conference in Denver, Colorado, I’m gratified by the growing number of hospitals and healthcare suppliers in the United States that are determined to work toward a greener supply chain. Although this is our first year as the international sponsor, Johnson & Johnson has sponsored CleanMed for four years because we are committed to helping drive sustainable practices in healthcare.

At the conference, leaders in healthcare sustainability came together to discuss the future of green healthcare and look for ways to reduce waste and curb carbon emissions. Sessions covered green building and design, waste management, reducing energy consumption, sustainable hospital food services, and greening the supply chain. You can read a recap of the conference at this link.

One essential element to this is sustainable product development. I was invited to share my experience and expertise in this by presenting in the Greener Product Innovation & Solutions for Healthcare Facilities session, along with Kimberly Clark’s David Spitzley. While I presented the Johnson & Johnson Earthwards® proprietary process, Spitzley discussed Kimberly Clark’s EcoLogical process for product lifecycle analysis. Both are being used to create greener products by taking a more holistic view of their environmental impact.

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As both a Johnson & Johnson employee and a mom (I’m the proud parent of a 12-year old daughter), I’m always interested in the work that our company has done and continues to do to improve the lives of women and children. Those efforts range from products and information to help mothers over 100 years ago, to today’s efforts like text4baby and MAMA, the partnerships with the United Nations to help women and children, and much more. Our historical advertising has reflected the Company’s longstanding relationship with mothers (and fathers!), and you can see some of those ads on the Kilmer House blog.

On that note, I wanted to share the latest television commercial celebrating moms and all that they do, and to encourage everyone to share this commercial with all of the moms in your life. So from Johnson & Johnson to every mother worldwide, Happy Mother’s Day!

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