Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLINX will offer scientists and entrepreneurs access to venture funding, R&D expertise and state-of-the-art facilities

JLINX is designed to accelerate early-stage transformative innovation, including an emphasis on the human microbiome as well as broader life-science research

BEERSE, BELGIUM (16 March 2016) – Johnson & Johnson Innovation is expanding its company incubation strategy to include a new multifaceted initiative in Europe designed to identify and nurture early-stage companies actively pursuing research with the potential to transform human health. The initiative, a collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Inc. (Janssen), will be called Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLINX (JLINX) and is designed to catalyze scientific innovations by offering start-ups flexible ways to grow and collaborate across the European life science ecosystem.

JLINX will be located in a fully dedicated facility on the Janssen campus in Beerse, Belgium, and will be managed through a close collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation and bioqube ventures, which will provide independent oversight for venture funding and company selection. JLINX will provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to share ideas and collaborate with each other while accessing a unique combination of resources including investment, infrastructure, and access to relevant internal and external scientific, technical and business expertise. The new initiative is accepting applications immediately and will be fully operational by this summer.

“The mission of Johnson & Johnson Innovation is to identify and advance the best science – internal or external – to bring healthcare solutions to patients and consumers around the world,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson. “We are confident that JLINX will create a vibrant ecosystem of start-ups and entrepreneurs with access to the world-class expertise and technology at the Janssen Campus in Belgium and within our global network. This new initiative has been designed to foster the creative start-up culture in Europe that can accelerate breakthroughs.”

Investment in promising transformative innovation through the JLINX initiative is venture-based and Johnson & Johnson companies will not hold any specific rights to commercialized products by virtue of the JLINX relationship. JLINX will launch with initial venture funding from Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) with the aim to leverage these funds along with those from additional external investors.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation will work closely with bioqube ventures which will provide an experienced management team to run the day to day operations of JLINX, including managing the investment portfolio and relationships with external venture investors, involvement in identifying and securing new companies, and supporting the overall scale-up of the new initiative.

“We believe the benefits of this collaboration will go far beyond developing successful new businesses. This new initiative will fuel the evolution of new models for scientific collaboration across the healthcare industry and foster the development of transformational solutions to the people who need them,” said William N. Hait, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. “Through this initiative, we honor the legacy of Dr. Paul Janssen, who founded his business in Beerse based on the ideals of scientific entrepreneurism.”

In alignment with the recently launched Janssen Human Microbiome Institute, JLINX will have a particular focus on human microbiome research, alongside other areas of innovation in pharmaceuticals and cross-disciplinary healthcare solutions.

JLINX complements and extends the Johnson & Johnson Innovation network of initiatives that includes four regional innovation centers ( Asia Pacific, Boston, California and London), venture investing through JJDC, our JLABS no-strings attached incubators in North America (Boston, Houston, San Diego, San Francisco and opening this spring in Toronto), as well as Janssen Business Development for later stage mergers and acquisitions. The full suite of cross-sector tools provided by Johnson & Johnson Innovation are designed to identify, access and accelerate the best science – internal or external – at all stages of development and rapidly advance it through clinical research to reach patients in need.

Start-ups and entrepreneurs interested in applying to join the JLINX community can reach out by visiting jlinx.jnjinnovation.com.

About Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Johnson & Johnson Innovation is working to accelerate scientific innovation at all stages of development worldwide to deliver cutting-edge solutions that solve unmetneeds for patients. Johnson & Johnson Innovation provides scientists, entrepreneursand emerging companies with one-stop access to the broad resources of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies across the Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices and Consumer healthcare segments. This includes access to dealmakers, through theinnovation centers located in global life science hot spots and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Janssen Business Development; venture investment, through Johnson &Johnson Innovation-JJDC, Inc.; company incubation, through Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS; as well as R&D, manufacturing and commercialization expertise across all three segments. For more information, visit http://www.jnjinnovation.com or follow @JNJInnovation.

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we are dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs of our time in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and vaccines, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Driven by our commitment to patients, we develop innovative products, services and healthcare solutions to help people with serious diseases throughout the world. Beyond its innovative medicines, Janssen is at the forefront of developing education and public policy initiatives to ensure patients and their families, caregivers, advocates and healthcare professionals have access to the latest treatment information, support services and quality care.

Janssen Research & Development, LLC is one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Please visit http://www.janssen.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JanssenGlobal.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 related to a new strategic initiative and collaboration. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Inc., Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the potential that the expected benefits and opportunities related to the initiative may not be realized; risks inherent in research and development of innovative products and processes, including uncertainty of clinical and commercial success and regulatory approvals; competition, including new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; and global health care reforms and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2016, including in Exhibit 99 thereto, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC or Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

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