Johnson &amp; Johnson is seeking next-generation advancements in neurodegeneration. Innovators worldwide are invited to submit their novel strategies or approaches that aim to prevent or limit the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. 
<h3>Specific areas of interest include:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Interventional approaches targeting neuronal and/or glial biology to promote homeostasis and neuroprotective mechanisms disrupted by aging are of particular interest</li>
<li>Research related to Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease </li>
</ul>
<h3>Additional considerations:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Therapeutic interventions to treat dementia, cognitive decline, mood and depression as related to neurodegeneration</li>
<li>Compelling approaches for ALS and Huntington’s disease may be considered </li>
</ul>
<h3>Scope:</h3>
<ul>
<li>All modalities and stages of development (from basic research to registration and approval) </li>
</ul>
<h3>Out of Scope:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Medical devices</li>
<li>Prebiotics, probiotics, and nutraceuticals</li>
<li>Repurposed drugs</li>
</ul>
<h3>Submission Information and Opportunity for Collaboration</h3>
Applicants should complete the <a href="">submission form</a> which should contain a brief, non‑confidential overview of your science or technology, demonstrating how the RFP requirements are satisfied by your approach. Submissions should outline the resources required to solve the problem. To submit your application, please visit our <a href="">website</a>, register, and submit your application form under the appropriate Connect campaign. Alongside your submission form, Johnson &amp; Johnson requires the upload of a mandatory slide deck. In submitting to this campaign, you agree to Johnson &amp; Johnson’s <a href="">Terms &amp; Conditions</a>.
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers on their ability to meet the following criteria:
<ul>
<li>Strategic alignment with areas of focus</li>
<li>Potential impact for transforming health outcomes for people living with neurodegenerative diseases</li>
<li>Feasibility and thoroughness of the approach and supporting data</li>
<li>Strength of the team</li>
</ul>
Selected applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their science in a closed-door poster session with Johnson &amp; Johnson Innovative Medicine’s Neuroscience R&amp;D leadership, taking place in London on the 13th of July, 2026. (Subject to terms and conditions. No travel costs will be reimbursed for applicants to attend the poster session event in London, UK.)

Johnson & Johnson Innovation is seeking next-generation advancements in neurodegeneration. Innovators worldwide are invited to submit their novel strategies or approaches that aim to prevent or limit the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Seeking Next-generation Neurodegeneration Advancements

Grünenthal, a global leader in pain management and related diseases, is seeking therapeutic molecules for oral administration that address both the inflammatory and itch components of inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. The team is particularly interested in innovative approaches that address the neuroimmune drivers of chronic itch, via targeting itch-mediating pruriceptors or approaches that modulate the immune-pruriceptor interaction. 
Approaches of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Diseases of particular interest include dermatological diseases, including but not limited to atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, urticaria and prurigo nodularis</li>
<li>Therapeutic molecules developed for non-dermatological inflammatory diseases targeting relevant pathways for the treatment of itch</li>
<li>Focus on small molecule assets for oral/ systemic administration</li>
</ul>
Out of Scope:
<ul>
<li>Therapeutics for topical administration</li>
<li>Drug discovery platforms </li>
<li>Clinical stage opportunities </li>
</ul>
Developmental Stages of Interest: 
<ul>
<li>Opportunities that have tangible chemical matter to late preclinical are in scope </li>
<li>Opportunities at lead optimization stage are highest priority </li>
</ul>
Submission Information
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Submissions should contain information on the therapeutics molecule’s mode of action or scientific rationale, any completed experimental validation, and how it is differentiated from known approaches. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 
Opportunity for Collaboration
Grünenthal is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets and research collaborations.

Grünenthal is seeking novel small molecule therapeutics for oral administration that address the neuroimmune drivers of chronic itch.

Seeking Drug Discovery Projects Targeting Itch in Inflammatory Conditions

The Impulse by Chiesi, the Open Innovation team within the global research-oriented biopharmaceutical group, is launching a call for innovative in utero therapeutic solutions for the treatment of rare diseases. Their focus is on approaches that enable early intervention to prevent or significantly reduce disease burden before birth.
Approaches of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Indications of highest interest include inborn errors of metabolism; dermatologic, haematologic, and immunologic conditions; endocrine-metabolic diseases; and adjacent areas such as kidney disease </li>
<li>Ultra‑rare diseases (≤1 in 50,000) will be considered </li>
<li>Treatments capable of crossing the placenta are also of interest </li>
<li>Any therapeutic modalities that lead to rare disease treatment in utero would be accepted if they meet the criteria below: 
<ul>
<li>Demonstrate or plausibly support biological efficacy </li>
<li>Be suitable for prenatal administration </li>
<li>Present a clear translational pathway, including delivery, safety, and durability considerations </li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Out of Scope:
<ul>
<li>Opportunities related to oncology and infectious disease </li>
</ul>
Developmental Stages of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Opportunities from basic research phase to registration are within scope </li>
<li>Opportunities should provide, at a minimum, in vitro data, a detailed outline of the proposed next research steps, and the funding required to achieve the upcoming research milestones </li>
</ul>
Submission Information and Opportunity for Collaboration
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include a slide-deck (or similar presentation) outlining their solution. The Impulse by Chiesi welcomes submissions from all applicants, including early-stage researchers, using this <a href="">submission form</a> to describe their research and proposed next steps. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 
The Impulse by Chiesi is open to a range of collaboration models, including support for small proof-of-concept or pilot studies to validate solutions that align with its needs. Details regarding intellectual property and licensing will be discussed on a case‑by‑case basis. By submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information.

The Impulse by Chiesi is seeking innovative in-utero therapeutic solutions for the treatment of rare diseases. Their focus is on approaches that enable early intervention to prevent or significantly reduce disease burden before birth. 

Seeking in utero Treatments for Rare Diseases 

Our client is seeking novel vaccine candidates to protect against canine leptospirosis and/or leptospiruria. They aim to improve on the currently available vaccines, particularly those with immunity to one specific serovar, typically from inactivated bacteria. 
Novel vaccines should provide cross-protection against multiple leptospira serovar from the following list: Leptospira pomona; L. canicola; L. icterohaemorrhagiae; L. grippotyphosa; L. bratislava; L. australis; L. copenhageni and L. autumnalis.
<h3>Approaches of Interest:</h3>
<ul>
<li>The vaccine candidate should provide cross protection against at least two of the serovars listed, however more comprehensive protection is desirable </li>
<li>Our client is open to vaccine formulations that provide cross-protection, and could comprise: 
<ul>
<li>A recombinant or chimeric proteins (subunit), or multiple proteins that provide cross-protection in combination </li>
<li>Vectored vaccines </li>
<li>Modified-live vaccines </li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Out of Scope:
<ul>
<li>Killed (inactivated) vaccines.</li>
<li>Leptospira vaccine development in non-canine species, unless readily applicable to achieve protection in canines. </li>
</ul>
<h3>Developmental Stages of Interest:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Cross-protection should be demonstrated in hamster challenge model, or an equivalent small animal model.</li>
<li>Validation in a canine model is desirable.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Submission Information</h3>
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is required, along with any relevant supplementary information e.g. relevant publications, patents. You are encouraged to outline the validation achieved for your technology, and next steps towards commercialisation. This campaign is open to submissions from academia and industry, including start‑ups. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 
<h3>Opportunity for Collaboration</h3>
Our client has commercial funding available for a collaboration, with necessary resources to progress suitable technologies from research through commercial development. Any such collaboration (including funding amount, timeline etc.) will be discussed on a case-by-case basis with selected submissions. Licensing of technologies and associated IP will also be considered.

A global company is seeking to develop novel vaccines to protect against multiple canine leptospira serovars.

Seeking Vaccine Candidates with Cross-protection Against Canine Leptospira

A publicly traded, fully integrated mid-cap biopharmaceutical company with commercial products providing aggregate &gt;$1B annual revenue is seeking therapeutic candidates for use in CNS and PNS diseases. Novel therapeutics should be a new chemical entity, ideally with a composition of matter patent filed in the last 5 years or with potential to file a composition of matter patent or other similarly meaningful patent protection. Our client is a conscientious company looking to bring assets in house and develop them to their full potential. 
Approaches of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Open to a range of neurological and psychiatric diseases </li>
<li>For neurodegenerative diseases, non-disease modifying therapeutics and treatments for management of neuropsychiatric symptoms (e.g. agitation/aggression, apathy, fatigue, psychosis) are also in scope </li>
<li>Modalities of interest include small molecules and peptides. Biologics and RNA-based therapies developed by biopharma companies are also of interest </li>
<li>Potential first-in-class therapeutics will be prioritized, potential best-in-class therapeutics will also be considered if strong rationale is provided </li>
</ul>
Out of Scope:
<ul>
<li>Therapeutics with disease-modifying action in neurodegenerative diseases or use in the following indications: nociceptive pain, MS, indications related to acute insult or injury (e.g. stroke, TBI), therapeutics with exclusive use in nicotine use disorder/ smoking cessation, diseases with less than 10,000 US patients </li>
<li>Repurposed/reformulated therapeutics </li>
<li>Diagnostics and medical devices </li>
<li>Digital therapeutics </li>
</ul>
Developmental Stages of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Opportunities that have a nominated drug candidate through to completion of Phase 1 are of interest, therapeutics that have at least in vivo validation are highest priority </li>
</ul>
Submission Information
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Submissions should include the mechanism of action, biological rationale, a list of any validation work that has been completed, and patents that have been filed. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 
Opportunity for Partnership
Our client is open to a range of partnership opportunities, with the most appropriate structure being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include asset acquisition and in-licensing assets, although more collaborative models are also a potential opportunity.

A publicly traded, fully integrated mid-cap biopharmaceutical company is seeking novel small molecule and peptide therapeutics for the treatment of CNS and PNS diseases.

Seeking Novel Therapeutics with Utility in CNS and PNS Indications

Daiichi Sankyo, a global pharmaceutical company, is seeking research related to the identification and mechanistic characterization of extracellular proteases whose inhibition suppresses disease onset or progression. 
Approaches of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Opportunities related to immune, cardiometabolic or ophthalmic disorders are of highest priority </li>
<li>Systemic inhibition of the protease is anticipated to carry little to no toxicity, though this does not apply to protease inhibition for ophthalmic diseases</li>
<li>The contribution of the protease to the disease pathology should have been validated by in vivo or ex vivo experiments involving knockout (KO) or knockdown (KD) of the protease </li>
</ul>
Out of Scope:
<ul>
<li>Target diseases exclude cancer and all infectious diseases, including COVID‑19 and HIV </li>
<li>Studies on the development of any modalities for specific protease inhibition </li>
<li>Opportunities related to intracellular proteases </li>
<li>Drug discovery and development platforms</li>
</ul>
Developmental Stages of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Basic research—provided it is supported by wet‑lab data—through to preclinical research is within scope </li>
<li>Proposals should include in vivo or ex vivo data, preferably using human-relevant disease models, enabling the verification of the contribution of the protease to the disease </li>
<li>Proposals should provide a clear outline of the subsequent research steps</li>
</ul>
Submission Information
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Our client is also open to novel research proposals which can be outlined using this <a href="">submission form</a>. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 
Opportunity for Collaboration
Our client is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, project/PhD funding, and research collaborations.

Daiichi Sankyo is seeking research related to the identification and mechanistic characterization of extracellular proteases whose inhibition suppresses disease onset or progression.   

Seeking Proteases as Inhibitory Targets for Disease Treatment 

Daiichi Sankyo, a global pharmaceutical company, is seeking disease models of macular degeneration-specifically atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt disease-that have high translational potential for clinical use. To this end, they are seeking disease models that are induced by fundamental pathological mechanisms known in AMD or that have demonstrated responsiveness to existing AMD therapies
Approaches of Interest:
<ul>
<li>In vitro and in vivo disease models that are close to human disease states in terms of disease state inducers, gene expression, and pathology</li>
<li>The model should meet at least two of the following criteria:
<ul>
<li>It is induced by factors that are strongly associated with AMD</li>
<li>It demonstrates concordance with human pathology, such as the development of CNV or localized RPE atrophy</li>
<li>It shows responsiveness to agents that have exhibited efficacy signals in AMD clinical trials, including complement inhibitors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Research to evaluate the efficacy of drugs using above AMD and Stargardt disease models </li>
</ul>
Out of Scope:
<ul>
<li>Models that are not applicable to age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease</li>
<li>In silico and AI powered models</li>
</ul>
Developmental Stages of Interest:
<ul>
<li>Opportunities from basic research to preclinical research are within scope</li>
<li>Opportunities with animal models or in vitro RPE cell models are of highest interest</li>
</ul>
Submission Information
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information.
Opportunity for Collaboration
Our client is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, project/PhD funding, and research collaborations.

Daiichi Sankyo is seeking disease models of macular degeneration that are induced by fundamental pathological mechanisms known in AMD or that have demonstrated responsiveness to existing AMD therapies.

Seeking Novel Disease Models of Macular Degeneration

Daiichi Sankyo is is seeking opportunities focused on novel drug delivery platforms. 
1. Drug delivery technologies for CNS drugs
<ul>
<li>Opportunities enabling systemic delivery of CNS‑targeted drugs (e.g., oligonucleotides) across the blood‑brain barrier for psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases are of interest, provided a clearly defined mechanism of BBB penetration is demonstrated</li>
<li>Basic research through to preclinical research is within scope. In vivo distribution data, cell-type-specific drug distribution data (e.g., neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia), and an in vitro cell assay system to quantitatively evaluate BBB penetration of the delivery system are all desirable</li>
<li>Opportunities related to well defined pathways including TfR, CD98, or IGF1R are out of scope. Additionally, non‑selective delivery methods (e.g., ultrasound, nanoparticles, liposomes), approaches with unresolved scalability and COG (cost of goods) challenges (such as engineered nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles), and nose‑to‑brain delivery strategies are out of scope</li>
</ul>
2. Eye‑drop delivery system for small molecules, peptides, and antibodies to retinal and choroidal tissue in retinal diseases
<ul>
<li>Versatile delivery systems not restricted to specific compounds, with retinal or choroidal exposure confirmed by in vivo studies are of interest (data from rabbits or pigs preferred)</li>
<li>Basic research through to preclinical research is within scope. Desirable data include efficacy in animal models of retinal diseases, stability of the eye‑drop solution, and toxicity assessments for the cornea or other anterior segment tissues</li>
</ul>
3. Technologies capable of selective tumor tissue-targeted delivery
<ul>
<li>Technologies must demonstrate enhanced accumulation in tumor tissue (comprising tumor cells, fibroblasts, stromal and immune cells) with reduced liver and kidney uptake, enable intracellular delivery of oligonucleotides or proteins, and be supported by robust, well‑established manufacturing processes</li>
<li>Technologies capable of selectively delivering to tumor-specific environments (e.g. pH, hypoxia, etc.) are of high interest</li>
<li>Research ranging from basic studies (with supporting experimental data) through Phase II is within scope</li>
<li>Out of scope are approaches limited to organ‑specific targeting, delivery methods such as viruses and nanoparticles, and technologies that rely solely on the Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect</li>
</ul>
Submission Information and Opportunity for Collaboration
Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. Daiichi Sankyo is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, project/PhD funding, MTA and research collaborations.

Daiichi Sankyo is seeking drug delivery platforms for CNS drugs that cross the blood–brain barrier, eye‑drop systems targeting retinal and choroidal tissues, and technologies enabling selective tumor tissue targeting.

Engage with world leading R&D teams

Active campaigns

rfp