Johnson & Johnson - through its pharmaceutical arm Janssen Research & Development - will attempt to redefine healthcare procedures through three new projects designed to predict the types of people who are likely to get a specific disease and, hopefully, prevent the onset.
It sounds ambitious, but J&J - the world's largest provider of health care products - has the resources to make this arduous task a reality. It is a leading maker of diagnostic tests, vaccines, surgical equipment, prescription pills, injected biologic medicines and consumer health products, the Associated Press reported. The company made a whopping $16 billion profit last year and, with the help of Janssen's 10,000 scientists, the two are sure to come up with groundbreaking medical advancements.
The projects aim to combat age and lifestyle-related illnesses including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, heart disease, multiple immune-related conditions and Type 1 diabetes..
This goal and giant leap into "true modern medicine" will work with the foundations of what scientists know to be true about human genetics and widespread illnesses, but could require a significant amount of time before being implemented. We're talking a possible "generation," according to analyst Steve Brozak, president of WBB Securities.
"This is visionary stuff here," Brozak said. "Nobody's ever tried this."
Here are the three proposed plans:
The Janssen Prevention Center will focus on conditions that affect the elderly, such as Alzheimer's, cancer and heart disease.
The Janssen Human Microbiome Institute will study bacteria living in and on the body - also called microbiome. Increased knowledge about these bacteria could lead to new treatments for diseases that currently don't have any such as multiple sclerosis, according to the AP.
The Disease Interception Accelerator will explore genetic defects and other causes of diseases.
"A hundred years from now, someone's going to look back on us and say, 'Can you believe they waited until you got a disease and then did something?'" Dr. William Hait, head of Janssen R&D, told the AP.
