Johnson & Johnson completes acquisition of Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held pharmaceutical discovery and development company focused on drugs to treat hormonally-driven cancers. Development of compounds from Aragon’s androgen receptor antagonist program, including its lead androgen receptor signaling inhibitor, ARN-509, will be managed by Janssen Research & Development, LLC.

“The acquisition strengthens our prostate cancer pipeline with a second-generation, potentially best-in-class compound,” said Peter F. Lebowitz, M.D., Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology. “It builds on our existing leadership position with ZYTIGA® (abiraterone acetate), and, if approved, we are hopeful ARN-509 will allow us to meet the needs of an even broader range of prostate cancer patients.”