Johnson & Johnson, through its subsidiary Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Crucell have entered into a strategic collaboration for the discovery, development and commercialization of monoclonal antibodies and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of influenza and other infectious and non-infectious diseases.

The collaboration will initially focus on the development and commercialization of a universal monoclonal antibody product (flu-mAb) for the treatment and prevention of influenza. The long-term focus will be on new discovery programs to develop and commercialize a universal flu vaccine as well as monoclonal antibodies and/or vaccines directed against as many as three other infectious and non-infectious disease targets.

J&J, through its affiliate JHC Nederland B.V., has also purchased 14.6 million newly issued ordinary shares of Crucell, representing approximately 18% of Crucell’s outstanding shares, for $443.5 million. Additionally, the companies have agreed to development milestones and royalty payments based on the successful development and commercialization of products under the collaboration.

Under the flu-mAb collaboration, Crucell and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals or its affiliates will share responsibilities to develop a universal flu-mAb product targeting all influenza A strains, including H1N1 strains (which cause seasonal flu and the current pandemic) and the H5N1 or avian strain (‘bird flu’). Crucell will be responsible for R&D through Phase IIa and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals or its affiliates will be responsible for late-stage development of the flu-mAb product.

Under the long-term collaboration, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals or its affiliates and Crucell will jointly work to discover and develop a universal flu vaccine, as well as antibody and/or vaccine products against three additional infectious or non-infectious disease targets to be selected after exploratory research.

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals will hold commercialization rights for products resulting from both collaborations in all countries throughout the world, except the EU and certain additional European countries, where Crucell will retain commercialization rights. Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ commercialization rights for products resulting from the innovation collaboration may be expanded worldwide if Crucell elects not to contribute toward development.