Janssen Pharmaceutica

Janssen Pharmaceutica, is a pharmaceutical company based in Beerse, in the Campine region of the province of Antwerp, Belgium. The company was established in 1953 by Dr. Paul Janssen. It was created not as a subsidiary of a chemical factory but solely with the aim of conducting pharmacological research. The company's stated aim is the continuous development of better drugs to improve the quality of life.

In 1961 Janssen Pharmaceutica joined the Johnson & Johnson group and is now part of the company's worldwide research and development centre, the Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development (J&J PRD) which conducts research and development activities related to a wide range of human medical disorders, including mental illness, neurological disorders, anaesthesia and analgesia, gastrointestinal disorders, fungal infection, allergies and cancer.

History

The early roots of what would become Janssen Pharmaceutica date back to 1933. In 1933 Dr. Constant Janssen, the father of Paul Janssen, acquires the right to distribute the pharmaceutical products of Richter, a Hungarian pharmaceutical company, for Belgium, the Netherlands and Belgian Congo. On 23 October 1934, he founded the "N.V. Produkten Richter" in Turnhout. In 1937 Constant Janssen acquired an old factory building in the "Statiestraat 78" in Turnhout for his growing company, which he expanded during World War II into a four-storey building. Still a student, Paul Janssen helps on the development of Perdolan. After the war, the name for the company products was changed in "Eupharma", although the company name "Richter" would remain until 1956.

Dr. Paul Janssen founded his own research laboratory in 1953 on the third floor of the building in the "Statiestraat", still within the "Richter-Eurpharma" company of his father. In 1955, he and his team developed their first drug: Neomeritine (ambucetamide), an antispasmodic found to be particularly effective for the relief of menstrual pain. On 5 April 1956, the name of the company was changed in "NV Laboratoria Pharmaceutica Dr. C. Janssen" (named after Dr. Constant Janssen). On 27 April 1957, the company opened a new research facility in Beerse, but the move to Beerse would not be completed until 1971-1972. On 2 May 1958, the research department in Beerse became a separate legal entity, the "N.V. Research Laboratorium Dr. C. Janssen".

On 24 October 1961, the company was acquired by the American group Johnson & Johnson. The negotiations with Johnson & Johnson were led by Frans Van den Bergh, head of the Board of Directors. In 1964, on 10 February, the name was changed to "Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V." and the seat of the company in Turnhout was also transferred to Beerse. The company was led by Paul Janssen, Bob Stouthuysen and Frans Van Den Bergh. When, in 1971-1972 the pharmaceutical production also came to Beerse, the move from Turnhout was completed.

Janssen Pharmaceutica expanded worldwide; in 1990, it had already 3000 employees in Belgium, further expanding up to 4600 in 2004. In 2004 there worked about 28000 people for Janssen Pharmaceutica worldwide.

Janssen Pharmaceutica from the beginning emphasized as its core activity research for the development of new drugs. The research department which was established in Beerse in 1957, developed into a large research campus. In 1987, the Janssen Research Foundation (JRF) was founded which performs research into new drugs, also in other laboratories around the globe. Janssen Pharmaceutica became the Flemish company with the largest budget for research and development. Beside the headquarters in Beerse with its research departments, pharmaceutical production and the administrative departments, Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium still has offices in Berchem (Janssen-Cilag), a chemical factory in Geel, and Janssen Biotech in Olen.

The Chemical Production plant in Geel, makes the active ingredients for the company’s medicines. In 1975, the first plant of a new chemical factory "Plant I" was established in Geel, "Plant II" was opened in 1977, "Plant III"' in 1984, and "Plant IV" in 1995. In 1999 the remaining chemical poduction in Beerse would be transferred to Geel. About 80% of its active components are manufactured here. The site in Geel also manufactures about two-thirds of the worldwide chemical production of the pharmaceutical sector of Johnson & Johnson. In 1995, the Center for Molecular Design (CMD) was founded by Paul Janssen and Paul Lewi.

In 1999, clinical research and non-clinical development become a global organization within Johnson & Johnson. In 2001, part of the research activities was transferred to the United States with the reorganization of research activities in the "Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Development" (JJPRD) organization. The research activities of the "Janssen Research Foundation" (JRF) and the "R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute" (PRI) (United States) were merged into the new global research organization. A new building for pharmaceutical development is completed in Beerse in 2001. In 2002, a new logistics and informatics centre is opened at a new site, "Beerse 2". In 2003 two new research buildings are constructed, the "Discovery Research Center" (DRC), and the "Drug Safety Evaluation Center" (DSEC). On 27 October 2004, the "Dr. Paul Janssen Research Center", for discovery research, was inaugurated.

The success of Janssen Pharmaceutica is commonly attributed to the vision of its founder, who himself was a brilliant scientist, but was also surrounded by talented and motivated employees, both scientifically and commercially. Dr. Paul Janssen created an environment which stimulated the creativity of his research workers [Lewi, Paul J., Successful Pharmaceutical Discovery: Paul Janssen's Concept of Drug Research, R&D Management, Vol. 37, Issue 4, pp. 355-362, September 2007] .

Janssen Pharmaceutica in China

In 1985, Janssen Pharmaceutica was the first Western pharmaceutical company to set up a pharmaceutical factory in the People's Republic of China (Xi'an). Already in 1983, Janssen had signed a cooperation contract to modernise products in an existing, but old, chemical factory in Hanzhong (in the province Shaanxi) and to produce the active compound of some Janssen products, such as mebendazole. Paul Appermont and Joos Horsten were responsible for the project.

In 1976 Paul Janssen had met the Lebanese-American doctor George Shafik Hatem (1912-1988) who was known in China under the name Ma Haide. Paul Janssen met with Ma Haide for three days in 1976, and decided to start a business in China right after the Cultural Revolution (1967-1976) and the opening to the west by Deng Xiaoping in 1978. The first factory was set up by Joos Horsten in Hanzhong, after which the second and larger factory followed in X'ian.

ome drugs developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica

R-code	Name	Brandname	Synthetized	Marketed
R5	ambucetamide	Neomeritine	1953	1955
R79	isopropamide iodide	Priamide-Janssen	1954	1955
R253	diisopromine	Bilagol	1955	1956
R516	cinnarizine	Stugeron	1955	1958
R875	dextromoramide	Palfium	1955	1957
R1132	diphenoxylate	Reasec	1956	1960
R1625	haloperidol	Haldol	1958	1959
R2498	trifluperidol	Triperidol	1959	1961
R3345	pipamperone	Dipiperon	1960	1961
R3365	piritramide	Dipidolor	1960	1967
R4263	fentanyl	Fentanyl	1960	1963
R4584	benperidol	Frenactyl	1961	1965
R4749	droperidol	Dehydrobenzperidol	1961	1963
R4845	bezitramide	Burgodin	1961	1971
R6218	fluspirilene	Imap	1963	1971
R6238	pimozide	Orap	1963	1970
R7904	lidoflazine	Clinium	1964	1969
R11333	bromperidol	Impromen	1966	1981
R12564	levamisole	Ergamisol	1966	1969
R13672	haloperidol decanoate	Haldol decanoas	1967	1981
R14889	miconazole nitrate	Daktarin	1967	1971
R14950	flunarizine	Sibelium	1967	1977
R15889	lorcainide	Remivox	1968	1983
R16341	penfluridol	Semap	1968	1973
R16470	dexetimide	Tremblex	1968	1972
R16659	etomidate	Hypnomidate	1964	1977
R17635	mebendazole	Vermox	1968	1972
R18553	loperamide	Imodium	1969	1973
R33800	sufentanil citrate	Sufenta	1974	1979
R33812	domperidone	Motilium	1974	1978
R35443	oxatomide	Tinset	1975	1981
R39209	alfentanil	Rapifen	1976	1983
R41400	ketoconazole	Nizoral	1976	1981
R43512	astemizole	Hismanal	1977	1983
R46541	bromperidol decanoate	Impromen decanoas	1978	1984
R49945	ketanserin tartrate	Sufrexal	1980	1987
R50547	levocabastine	Livostin	1979	1989
R51211	itraconazole	Sporanox	1980	1986
R51619	cisapride	Prepulsid	1980	1989
R64766	risperidone	Risperdal	1984	1993

Janssen Pharmaceutica has developed and brought to the market about 70 new active substances (NCE), of which the most well-known are (name may differ):
*Imodium (against diarrhoea. Active substance: loperamide)
*Motilium (against flatulence — and bowel impairments. Active substance: domperidone)
*Reminyl (against Alzheimer's disease (dementia). Active substance: galantamine)
*Daktarin (against fungal infections. Active substance: miconazole)
*Nizoral (against dandruff, Active substance: ketoconazole)
*Durogesic (fentanylpatch for pain suppression. Active substance: fentanyl)
*Vermox (against worms. Active substance: mebendazole)
*Risperdal (antipsychotic, against mental illness such as schizophrenia. Active substance: risperidone)

Five drugs of Janssen Pharmaceutica, in the course of time, were put on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines:
* Haldol (haloperidol)
* Ergamisol (levamisole)
* Daktarin (miconazole)
* Vermox (mebendazole)
* Nizoral (ketoconazole) (on the WHO list until 2005)

R207910 is an experimental diarylquinoline anti-tuberculosis drug, discovered by Koen Andries and his team, which promises a shorter and simpler treatment for Tuberculosis (TB).

Business

*Revenue:
**2001: 1568 M euro
**2002: 1674
**2003: 1876
**2004: 1934
**2005: 2104

*Profit:
**2001: 285 M euro
**2002: 282
**2003: 355
**2004: 433
**2005: 346

*Employment in Belgium
**1955: 190
**1960: 350
**1965: 465
**1970: 807
**1975: 1378
**1980: 1734
**1985: 2322
**1990: 2914
**1995: 3245
**2000: 4036
**2001: 3954
**2002: 4234
**2003: 4386
**2004: 4343
**2005: 4715
**2007: 4723

ee also

*Ajit Shetty
*Didier de Chaffoy de Courcelles
*Paul Stoffels
*Staf Van Reet
*Koen Andries
*Jan Schuurkes
*Tibotec
*Virco
*Rega Institute for Medical Research
*Janssen-Cilag
*Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical
*Drug development
*Nanovid microscopy
*FlandersBio
*Joan Daemen

References

ource

* Geerdt Magiels, "Paul Janssen. Pionier in farma en in China", Houtekiet, 2005.

External links

* [http://www.janssen-cilag.com/ Janssen-Cilag]
* [http://www.janssenpharmaceutica.be/index_E.asp Janssen Pharmaceutica]
* [http://www.xian-janssen.com.cn/ 西安杨森制药有限公司 / Xian-Janssen]