Johnson & Johnson announced the launch of the J&J Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery at the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre, University of Cape Town, in Cape Town, South Africa. This marks the latest expansion of the J&J Centers for Global Health Discovery, a global network of research collaborations between the Company and leading research institutions to accelerate translational and discovery research to address some of the world's most pressing global health challenges. The Satellite Center at H3D will work to drive new solutions to address the present and rising threat of antimicrobial resistance with a specific focus on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

The establishment of the J&J Centers is a critical step in the creation of a larger, global scientific network that will help stimulate local innovation and support researchers to drive and advance discovery research and development. Together, teams from the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and H3D will leverage their combined global, institutional and regional strengths to bolster the early-stage science, innovation and talent development needed to tackle AMR, a prevalent threat in Africa and around the world. The AMR challenge is particularly acute in Africa as well as Asia, where the transmission of pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, malaria and sexually transmitted infections, coupled with limited data surveillance, has created an environment where significant resistance to antibiotics can develop.

Furthermore, local researchers have long faced systemic barriers to accessing the support, resources and infrastructure as well as new technological platforms that are key to tackling significant health challenges like AMR.