Johnson & Johnson to Acquire Taris Biomedical

Johnson & Johnson announced on Dec. 20, 2019 that it will acquire Taris Biomedical, a Lexington, MA-based biotechnology company focused on drug delivery technology for the treatment of bladder diseases. Financial details were not disclosed.

Through the acquisition, Johnson & Johnson will gain access to Taris’ lead clinical-stage product, TAR-200, a silicone-based drug delivery device that continuously releases medication into the bladder, according to a Taris press release.

“The Taris technology provides a first-in-class clinical stage platform to evaluate novel, locally delivered therapeutics for patients with localized bladder cancer,” said Peter Lebowitz, MD, PhD, Global Therapeutic Area head, Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, in the press release. “Together with the Taris team, we look forward to advancing complete regimens to push towards early interception of bladder cancer with the goal of improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, delivering cures.”

“The Taris technology and scientific team create an unparalleled convergence opportunity with real potential to deliver differentiated, targeted therapeutics for the treatment of patients with localized bladder cancer,” added Mathai Mammen, MD, PhD, global head, Janssen R&D, Johnson & Johnson, in the press release. “We are eager to build upon the proof-of-concept data that the Taris team has generated and advance its clinical development for patients who face a bladder cancer diagnosis, and potentially for other types of cancer in the future.”

Source: Taris