Janssen Belgium
WE COLLABORATE WITH THE WORLD for the health of everyone in it
The essence
FROM MOLECULE TO MEDICINE
"There is so much more to be done. The patients are waiting." DR. PAUL JANSSEN
IMMUNOLOGY
ONCOLOGY
CARDIOVASCULAR & METABOLISM
NEUROSCIENCE
INFECTIOUS DISEASES & VACCINES
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
"PATIENTS ARE AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO. INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES ARE AT THE HEART OF HOW WE DO IT." Here at Janssen, our focus every day is on a future where disease is a thing of the past, where health is the norm, and where people can access healthcare no matter where they are in the world. Is this an ambitious goal? Maybe. Can we achieve it? We are convinced that we can. And this belief is inextricably linked with our drive for research and innovation. It is woven into our DNA; DNA passed down to us by Dr. Paul Janssen, whose passion for research and innovation still inspires us all today.
While patients are at the heart of what we do, innovation and sustainable business practices are at the heart of how we do it. In order to make our ambitious vision of the future a reality, we invest continuously in research and development. Janssen is an 'innovation powerhouse': a breeding ground for science and talent, innovation and collaboration, all focused on the health and well-being of people around the world. As a key player in the pharmaceutical sector, we bear a significant social responsibility. This is something we take very seriously. From building relevant partnerships across company borders through to facilitating sustainable careers for our employees, we fight sickness with science, we improve access with ingenuity and we heal hopelessness with heart. We are driven to achieve these goals every day by our commitment to people. From our base in Belgium and the Benelux we play a leading international role. In this brochure, we share several remarkable stories to illustrate how we are working to achieve tomorrow's goals today. Enjoy the read,
Kris Sterkens Managing Director Janssen Pharmaceutica
INNOVATION WITHIN JANSSEN
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PUT INTO PRACTICE
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FINGERPRINT AND IRIS SCANS IN OUR PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT
SUSTAINABILITY IS PART OF OUR DAILY OPERATIONS
THE WORLD AS OUR LAB
SPEAKING PATIENTS' LANGUAGE
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A COMPANY STRATEGY
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A NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS IT
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WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLOT OUT YOUR OWN CAREER
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TODAY'S TALENT GUARANTEES WE WILL STILL BE RELEVANT TOMORROW
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PUT INTO PRACTICE
iSTEP: customized care for everyone How can we provide fast and personalized care for everyone? How can we help doctors to improve patient follow-up? Thanks to iSTEP (Integrated Smart Trial and Engagement Program), we are taking a major step toward being able to answer those questions. iSTEP uses innovative technologies such as smart packaging, scanners, smartphones and tablets to automate the management of clinical data and material. Including via the iSTEP app. This provides fast and personalized care for everyone.
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The iSTEP app offers patients personal support, from taking their blood pressure or carrying out other tests to filling out questionnaires. The smart packaging records which tablet the patient removes from the blister pack and when, so the doctor can track that they took the right medication at the right time. The patient can also use the app to provide feedback, for example, about any side effects they encounter. The doctor can then use this information to offer further follow-up and advice. This enables Janssen to obtain a much more complete overview of feedback from patients in clinical studies and then use this to shape the further development of our medicines. This not only benefits personal treatment for patients but also the quality of our research!
Mad about data Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence. In other words: they are self-learning computers that get better and better at mining data. We use this technology to speed up how long it takes us to select suitable molecules that act as the basis for new medicines. "Some experiments can generate half a million microscopy images," says Hugo Ceulemans, Scientific Director, Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development. "We combine that data with artificial intelligence to select molecules - a method that is around 250 times more efficient than the traditional way of discovering medicines. But we don't stop at image analysis. We are working with various partners from academia, IT and the pharmaceutical sector to unlock increasingly larger and more diverse datasets, which will inform our search for better and safer medicines."
Hugo Ceulemans _ SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR DISCOVERY SCIENCES "Artificial intelligence has such a huge potential impact for global health. Algorithms give us better information and also speed up access to new treatments."
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FINGERPRINT AND IRIS SCANS IN OUR PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT Previously, operators on our packing line in Beerse had to enter an electronic signature (e-signature) 69 times every hour during an order change. Each e-signature took on average around 12 seconds, accounting for almost 15 minutes of lost time every hour. Efficiency and agility are crucial for a packing department to run properly, and we have saved quite a bit of time by using fingerprint authentication. Erik Parmentier, Senior Business Excellence Engineer, launched the system: "I was inspired by the verification options that smartphones use. It seems to be a real game changer for the production process as a whole." The fingerprint solution wasn't feasible for the packing lines where we use gloves and safety suits. Therefore, as part of an innovation competition, Erik Parmentier introduced the idea of using iris scanning instead. This system uses camera technology to check and record the patterns in your iris.
• We are reinforcing our pioneering role: we now use fingerprint authentication in other countries and domains as well. Fingerprint verification was recently introduced on all packing lines in Gurabo (USA) and Schaffhausen (Switzerland). THE IMPACT OF INNOVATION EXPRESSED IN FIGURES
• We are reducing the risk of contamination in sterile environments by replacing e-signatures with iris scanning. • We are gaining in terms of efficiency: in Beerse, we eliminate 1 million e-signatures every year. This equates to at least 3500 working hours and 700 machine hours.
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Sustainability is more than just a buzzword in our company. We demonstrate our commitment to our philosophy every day, in everything we do.
SUSTAINABILITY IS PART OF OUR DAILY OPERATIONS
Plant on a Truck: the circular economy put into practice Our focus on a circular economy means we try to optimize our reuse of materials. We worked together with InOpSys, a startup from the KU Leuven research university, to create ‘Plant on a Truck’, a mobile purification plant at our production site in Geel, Belgium. We are currently using it to recover zinc from the waste water from a drug to combat type 2 diabetes, for example. We then reuse the zinc in the production process, which is a textbook illustration of the circular economy put into practice! Thanks to our investments in distillation processes in Geel, we are saving the equivalent of 300 hectares of trees in energy every year. Bert Verstappen, Senior Expert Environment and Sustainability, is actively promoting this concept at other Johnson & Johnson production locations: "Working together has a much greater impact than working individually - on costs and on the environment. It's a win-win for everyone."
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Using spray drying to create the perfect pill Two thirds of the human body is made up of water but many promising medicines do not dissolve properly in water in the first place. Thanks to our use of spray drying throughout the production process, we can now optimize monitoring of the composition of the pills. We can then make sure that they are easier for the human body to absorb. This is a sustainable way of working that produces far less waste than other techniques and also creates a stable product. For example, spray drying has contributed to the fact that HIV patients now only have to take one or two tablets a day. "This technology allows us to keep developing the very latest medicines right here in Belgium," says Yves Vancleemput, Business Unit Lead Geel. "And this innovation also helps to ensure that complex medicines reach patients faster."
Our innovation and sustainable approach are winning prizes Our innovations have already received considerable external recognition, including from the Made Different action plan (Factory of the Future) and the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (VBO) (Belgian Business Award for the Environment).
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THE WORLD AS OUR LAB Innovation does not happen by anxiously guarding your knowledge within the four walls of your company. Innovation comes about by sharing that knowledge and by having the courage to look across the borders between companies and sectors. We work together with top experts to ensure we keep making a difference every day - for patients, for staff and for society. "Research into patient-focused solutions increasingly requires an approach that breaks down the borders between companies," says Jan van der Goten, Head of Strategic Partnerships Janssen Benelux and Head of Campus Office Janssen Belgium. "Our experts work together with external parties in all phases. We are looking for medical breakthroughs, wherever they occur - in a university, in a research organization, in a biotech/ pharmaceutical company or startup. We see the world as our laboratory."
Jan Van Der Goten _ HEAD OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS JANSSEN BENELUX HEAD OF CAMPUS OFFICE JANSSEN BELGIUM
"Belgium as a country is leading the way in medical innovation and we want to keep it that way."
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"If we make some medical innovations before the United States, then our patients can access new drugs more quickly," says Eric Mortier, professor and CEO of Ghent University Hospital. "And apart from helping the patient, this also supports local employment opportunities." "There are always more smart people than we can actually recruit," says Pieter Peeters, Senior Director Computational Sciences. "So we have a strong focus on personal development and innovation, as well as on collaboration. Collaborations with universities in Belgium and abroad in the field of artificial intelligence - machine learning and deep learning - are an excellent example of this. These are truly innovative topics at the moment. If we can learn to predict the biological characteristics of chemical molecules, we can speed up research into new medicines and make it more precise. This will again make a difference for a huge number of patients."
Open innovation ecosystem When we talk about partnerships here at Janssen, we often refer to an "open innovation ecosystem," where both internal and external partners work together, inside and outside our infrastructure.
Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS: building the future with innovative startups Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS is right at the heart of the campus in Beerse, acting as an incubator for innovative startups in healthcare. Our company provides the infrastructure, expertise, potential financing and an extensive global network, all aimed at helping to create the businesses of the future.
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SPEAKING PATIENTS' LANGUAGE What do patients actually want to know? What information do they really care about? "Due to our scientific standpoint, we may not have given enough consideration to this in the past," says Anneleen Vindevogel, Patient Advocacy Manager. "Take Crohn's disease, for example. In the past, we would give a thorough and exhaustive description of the required tests, content and clinical picture, but using a fairly technical and scientific style that is typical of our sector. However, patients actually need different, more practical information, like how long the tests will take, for example, and what kind of results they can expect, and whether they will be allowed to drive home again afterwards." Nowadays, we are far more aware of the importance of tailoring communication to the patient. That is why we are working closely with patients and their families to improve how our services meet patients' needs. In partnership with patient organizations, this has already resulted in changes to how we communicate about handling psychoses (working with SIMILES, the Belgian organization of and for the families of people with fragile mental health) and lymphoma (working with the support group LVV vzw).
Working together to break down stigma One in four people will experience mental health issues in their lifetime.* The same number of people indicate that they don't feel good about themselves. But no fewer than 60% don't talk about their mental health issues and therefore don't look for help either, even though recognizing the signs at an early stage can have an enormous positive impact. Here at Janssen, we aren't just focused on developing pioneering treatments, we also really want to help to bring mental health issues out into the open. Examples of this include our Doe Eens Goed Gek (Let's Go Crazy) campaign, an initiative aiming to positively influence perceptions of psychosis. We are also proud to be a partner of the Te Gek!? (Too Crazy!?) organization, who want to get the media and general public talking about mental health issues.
* Source: www.geestelijkgezondvlaanderen.be
Sonja Willems _ MANAGING DIRECTOR JANSSEN BENELUX "We are aware that a lack of knowledge about and a negative perception of mental vulnerability mean that patients don't feel understood or supported. That's why, alongside our focus on medical solutions, we are also committed to creating wider social acceptance for patients and their families."
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A COMPANY STRATEGY The United Nations has produced 17 sustainable development goals, or SDGs, for 2030. Collectively, these goals reflect the economic, social and ecological aspects of sustainable development and offer a wide range of positive opportunities for both people and organizations. Each of them has 'caring' as its common thread, which is exactly what our company's basic values are about. Janssen is integrating these goals into its company strategy. We are developing a dashboard that will highlight the goals (in partnership with the Antwerp Management School (AMS)) and also stimulate our investments for our sustainability program of the future.
OUR HEAT NETWORK: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ON CAMPUS The construction of our own heat network on the site in Beerse - a project that was supported by the Flemish government and the Vlaamse Energieagentschap (Flemish Energy Agency) - is an excellent example of our investments in sustainability. This '4th generation network' harnesses smart energy usage by distributing water at a range of temperatures through insulated pipes and using it for production and heating purposes. This is the first time that this innovative concept has been used on an industrial site of this size in Western Europe. Our geothermal project, which will soon enable us to use geothermal energy from several kilometers below the earth's surface to heat our buildings, is yet another unique example of how we integrate sustainable innovation in the industrial sector.
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A NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS IT With our Community Impact programme, we support anyone who needs it to realize their full potential in our society. Peggy Van Casteren, Community Impact Manager: "We have three specific objectives for this project: making education and childcare available to everyone, supporting care providers and caregivers in their work, and improving access to healthcare. We are achieving these objectives by investing in long-term partnerships with organizations including TADA, Special Olympics and the Ronald McDonald Children's Fund." Our employees also contribute. For example, by volunteering on our Care Days, a program where Janssen and J&J employees in the Benelux can spend one working day a year doing social volunteer work.
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Hilde Claes _ HEAD OF HR BELGIUM & NETHERLANDS "Our objective may be straightforward but it isn't simple: we want people to look forward to coming to work in the morning and to feel good when they go home again in the evening. We achieve that by focusing on the well-being and on the growth and development of all our employees, at every level in our company and at every stage of life."
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLOT OUT YOUR OWN CAREER Janssen Belgium employs more than 5000 people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of education. Day in and day out, they work together to create a better and carefree future for patients worldwide. And their efforts play a crucial role. We take our people's well-being very seriously, as you can only look after other people properly if you look after yourself as well. Our work, health, talents and values are inextricably linked to the opportunity to choose your own career in line with your wishes and needs. This way, everyone can find the right place for themselves within Janssen Belgium and create the right work/life balance at every stage of their lives.
Anouck Van Hoydonck _ DIRECTOR AGILE WORKFORCE "We are working for and with employees to create a wide and versatile choice of employment options, based on the assumption that they should all be in control of their own careers. Our primary role is to facilitate this."
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Talent Fit Center Our Talent Fit Center has a specific goal - to develop sustainable careers for everyone. This is where we help our staff to uncover their talents and to develop them so that they can continue to plot out their careers.
Janssen has been in the top ten every year since the launch of the Randstad Awards for the most attractive employer, and we have been awarded first place four times already. This has also earned us the award for most attractive employer of the decade for the second time in a row!
Diversity & Inclusion
You Belong.
"You belong." There is room for everyone at Janssen. This company-wide strategy underpins our focus on inclusive leadership and helps us to build a diverse organization. "What I think is great about working at Janssen is that it's a huge company that feels like a little family," says Chaymae Tahri, Brand Manager Lymphoma. Because we promote inclusiveness and diversity and encourage a culture of togetherness, we are able to tap the potential of this striking mix of people, in every part of Johnson & Johnson. Every one of us, with our unique experience and background, is helping to work towards a better and healthier world. In other words, "You Belong."Â
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Eric Pelkmans _ DIRECTOR AGILE WORKFORCE STRATEGY "Here at Janssen, we take very good care of our existing talent and we are also always on the lookout for new top talent."
TODAY'S TALENT GUARANTEES WE WILL STILL BE RELEVANT TOMORROW Our training program for Postdocs and PhD students combines top scientific quality with innovation. The result is a complete win-win situation: Postdocs and PhD students gain practical experience and we receive regular updates about innovations in academic research.
Ivan Kopljar _ FORMER POSTDOC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP, CURRENTLY SENIOR SCIENTIST AT JANSSEN
"It's great to see that managers, scientists and other students are all interested in our work. As part of our presentation, we were challenged to show how our academic work relates to the research and development of drugs in terms of relevance, validity and associated risks, for example. We also received feedback from mentors to help us develop our presentation and interaction techniques further… That was a real eye-opener!"
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About Janssen
We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
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At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart.
The images use models and are for illustrative purposes only. ©Janssen Pharmaceutica NV - EM-21890 - 31-oct-2019 - vu/er Vincent Seynhaeve, Antwerpseweg 15-17, 2340 Beerse
janssen.com/belgium Janssen Pharmaceutica NV Turnhoutsesteenweg 30 2340 Beerse, Belgium
006748
The images use models and are for illustrative purposes only. ŠJanssen Pharmaceutica NV - EM-21890 - 31-oct-2019 - vu/er Vincent Seynhaeve, Antwerpseweg 15-17, 2340 Beerse