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Interventional Oncology

Interventional Oncology (INTO) is a Research & Development enterprise group that integrates the expertise of both Johnson & Johnson sectors, aiming to develop intratumoral treatments—a promising growth area within interventional oncology. We use a multidisciplinary approach to help accelerate the company’s bold vision to eliminate cancer by developing the portfolio and procedures to deliver drugs directly into tumors.

Johnson & Johnson is highly differentiated by its two sectors: MedTech and Innovative Medicine. By integrating the expertise of both sectors, we believe we are uniquely positioned to develop intratumoral therapies, technology, and procedures for lung cancer—where there is the greatest unmet need—as well as for head and neck and potentially other solid tumors.
An illustration of a drug being injected into a tumor

Why intratumoral therapy?

Intratumoral therapy has several benefits that can help address clinical unmet needs along the patient journey with the goal of:

Minimizing toxicity

Make possible a better risk-benefit proposition especially for treatment of early cancer

Increasing efficacy

Provide higher concentrations of local therapy to kill the tumor and activate anti-tumor immunity

Unlocking new therapies

Enable the use of immunotherapies, which cannot be delivered systemically

Our approach to partnering

External Innovation (EI) is at the core of INTO’s mission to develop transformative intratumoral and locally delivered therapies by harnessing the extensive expertise and global reach of Johnson & Johnson’s Innovative Medicine and MedTech sectors. We are actively establishing external collaborations to deliver therapies directly into visceral tumors, such as lung cancers, with the highest unmet needs through minimally invasive procedures, ultimately working to maximize therapeutic benefit while minimizing toxicity and side effects.

We are actively seeking partnerships with biopharma, academic, and clinical institutions to find novel intratumoral therapies, accelerate asset development, and shape future research through collaboration and investment.

Clinical expertise

Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Interventional Pulmonology, Interventional Radiology and Thoracic Surgery

Scientific expertise

From Discovery to Late-Stage Clinical Development such as Pharmaceutical and Engineering Sciences, Biomarker Research and AI/Data Sciences

Engineering expertise

To maximize efficacy, minimize user variability and enable scale

Partner with us

The INTO External Innovation team is seeking external innovations to further our intratumoral portfolio in the following areas.

Innovative intratumoral therapies

New approaches may incorporate cytotoxic agents (ideally immunogenic cell death inducers), immunostimulatory energy or agents, radio-enhancers/sensitizers and cell therapies. We seek to expand the use of controlled release and localized depot drug delivery technologies, including small molecule, protein, and RNA delivery approaches.

Integrated delivery procedure solutions

Developing, expanding and fine-tuning new technologies will empower our INTO team and its partners to plan, deliver, monitor and confirm success of intratumoral therapy delivery.
We are seeking external innovations to further our intratumoral portfolio. Contact us for partnership opportunities.

Who we are

  • Avi Spira, M.D., MSc

    Avi Spira, M.D., M.Sc.

    Global Head, Interventional Oncology
  • Phillippe Szapary, Ph.D.

    Philippe Szapary, M.D., M.S.C.E.

    Clinical Development & Scientific Affairs Head, Interventional Oncology
  • Hannah McEwen, Ph.D.

    Hannah McEwen, Ph.D.

    Head of Engineering, Interventional Oncology
  • Stewart Bates

    Stewart Bates, Ph.D.

    Interim Head of Discovery and Translational Sciences for Interventional Oncology
  • Stephen Pitt

    Stephen Pitt, Ph.D.

    Global Head of External Innovation, Interventional Oncology
  • Lisa Berry

    Lisa Berry

    Global Head of Strategy & Operations, Interventional Oncology

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