NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.,
Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson
& Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced that Paul Stoffels M.D., currently Vice Chairman of
the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer of Johnson
& Johnson, will retire from the Company effective December 31, 2021.
As the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief
Scientific Officer, Dr. Stoffels spearheaded the company's research
and product pipeline leading teams across sectors to set the
company-wide mandate to discover and develop transformational
healthcare solutions. Under his leadership, Johnson & Johnson
revitalized its innovation pipeline and created one of the most
robust portfolios in the industry. As a strong advocate for solving
some of the world's toughest health care problems, Dr. Stoffels
relentlessly focused on unlocking the power of science and
innovation from both internal Research & Development (R&D)
and external innovation to develop medicines and solutions for
people all over the world.
"It has been an honor and privilege to spearhead Johnson
& Johnson's innovation agenda and propel transformational
innovation to deliver years of life and quality of life to millions
of people around the world," said Dr. Stoffels. "As a
physician and a scientist, it is gratifying to see the healthcare
landscape transformed as we unlock the best science and technology
to deliver innovative medicines to solve the world's toughest
health challenges. As I reflect on the work of our talented and
dedicated teams around the world, I am proud of the impact we have
made and confident that our vibrant community of world-leading
scientists and engineers will position our company for continued
success."
With a commitment to fueling innovation and collaborating on the
best science and technology, Dr. Stoffels established Johnson &
Johnson Innovation – a vast network in innovation hotspots across
the world – as a critical source to access the best science and
technology through strategic partnerships, licensing, acquisitions,
incubation and investments. Today, there are more than 700
companies incubating in the JLABS ecosystem, countless strategic
partnerships through the Innovation Centers, and many significant
strategic investments through Johnson & Johnson Innovation –
JJDC, Inc., the strategic venture capital arm of Johnson &
Johnson.
"Paul is an exceptional human being, inspiring people every day.
His remarkable capability of bringing a vision and a mission to
life, and his commitment to improving and saving lives globally,
pulled the organization forward and generated a huge impact on
global health and on the trajectory of Johnson & Johnson", said
Alex Gorsky, currently Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson. "Together with
the senior Johnson & Johnson R&D leaders of the R&D
Management Committee, Paul created a culture of people development,
sponsorship, entrepreneurial leadership, developing generations of
new talented leaders for Johnson & Johnson."
Previously, in his role as Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals,
Dr. Stoffels led the transformation of the pharmaceutical research
and development pipeline for Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of
Johnson & Johnson, driving a fundamental shift in the R&D
paradigm that is now a model in the industry for productivity and
innovation. Paul also played a key role in many collaborations with
external partners including the licensing of key medicines, as well
the acquisition of Crucell and Actelion.
"With Paul at the helm, Janssen rejuvenated its pipeline,
launching multiple new medicines, making a difference for people
all over the world, said Joaquin
Duato, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and the next
CEO of Johnson & Johnson as of January
3, 2022. "Under Paul's leadership, the Janssen R&D teams
developed more than 25 new medicines across multiple therapeutic
areas. Seven of these medicines have been added to the Essential
Medicines List of the World Health Organization, a recognition for
the huge impact these medicines are making for patients
worldwide."
Dr. Stoffels is a recognized global leader in the world of
public health. With his relentless focus on treating and
eliminating HIV, Tuberculosis and Ebola, the most devastating
infections on earth, his teams developed medicines and vaccines. He
established Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health with the
mission of making a difference for people in low- and middle-income
countries. In 2020, he spearheaded the development of the Johnson
& Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine within a record time
frame. The vaccine is a critical tool in addressing the pandemic
for people living in low-income countries.
Paul is also a prominent thought leader on the global public
health stage, advancing key global health policy objectives by
representing Johnson & Johnson with organizations such as the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of
Health, the European Commission's Innovative Medicines Initiative
and World Health Organization. Paul was instrumental in the
founding of TransCelerate Biopharma Inc., the Dementia Discovery
Fund and other pre-competitive collaborations aimed to fuel
investment in innovation and speed solutions to patients.
"I look forward to working with Alex and Joaquin to ensure a
smooth transition for our R&D and innovation teams," said
Stoffels. "With a strong pipeline of passionate leaders, our teams
will continue to focus on the most significant unmet medical needs,
identify the best ideas – wherever they are in the world, and use
our industry-leading capabilities to transform those ideas into
solutions that deliver years of life and quality of life for people
all over the world."
About Paul Stoffels,
M.D.
Paul studied Medicine at the University of Diepenbeek and the
University of Antwerp in
Belgium and Infectious Diseases
and Tropical Medicine at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in
Antwerp, Belgium.
Paul began his career as a physician in Africa, focusing on HIV and tropical diseases
clinical research, and worked at Janssen Pharmaceutica under the
tutelage of Dr. Paul Janssen in the
early 1990s. He re-joined Johnson & Johnson in 2002 with the
acquisition of Virco and Tibotec, where he led the development of
several breakthrough products for the treatment of HIV that helped
to transform this devastating, deadly disease into a chronic and
treatable condition.
About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson,
we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving
communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130
years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every
stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based
health care company, we are committed to using our reach and size
for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create
healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment
within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart,
science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health
for humanity.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This
press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding,
among other things: future operating and financial performance,
product development, market position and business strategy. 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 Johnson
& Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited
to: risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic,
such as the scope and duration of the outbreak, government actions
and restrictive measures implemented in response, material delays
and cancellations of medical procedures, supply chain disruptions
and other impacts to the business, or on the Company's ability to
execute business continuity plans, as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, economic factors, such as interest rate and currency
exchange rate fluctuations; competition, including technological
advances, new products and patents attained by competitors;
challenges inherent in new product research and development,
including uncertainty of clinical success and obtaining regulatory
approvals; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing
products; challenges to patents; the impact of patent expirations;
the ability of the Company to successfully execute strategic plans;
the impact of business combinations and divestitures; manufacturing
difficulties or delays, internally or within the supply chain;
product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or
regulatory action; significant adverse litigation or government
action, including related to product liability claims; changes to
applicable laws and regulations, including tax laws and global
health care reforms; trends toward health care cost containment;
changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health
care products and services; financial instability of international
economies and legal systems and sovereign risk; increased scrutiny
of the health care industry by government agencies. A further list
and descriptions 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,
2021 including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors,"
in the Company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
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. Any forward-looking statement made in this
release speaks only as of the date of this release. Johnson &
Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement
as a result of new information or future events or
developments.
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