each new day holds new potential
The potential to profoundly change the course of a disease.
That's not simply wishful thinking. It's the spirit the Immunology Pioneers at Centocor embrace every day in the course of their work.
That spirit has paid off with the development of a line of Centocor biomedicines that have revolutionized patient treatment in a number of disease categories, including ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, pediatric Crohn's disease, coronary angioplasty, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis.
immunology
Centocor is dedicated to finding new treatments to improve the lives of people living with immune-related conditions, specifically in the areas of:
- Rheumatology
- Gastroenterology
- Dermatology
- Pulmonology
biotechnology
Biologic medicines versus traditional pharmaceuticals: what’s the difference?
Biomedicines are typically derived from naturally occurring proteins, whereas traditional drugs are synthetic compounds. Biologic medicines are very specific in how they work on the underlying causes of disease, so developing them requires an understanding of the disease state and the mechanism of how the disease works.
how antibodies become biomedicine
How does Centocor create the drugs to treat disease? It starts with a process that allows our scientists to study the cells that create antibodies.
The human body makes antibodies that selectively target viruses and bacteria. Typically, the body makes antibodies to act on foreign substances. By understanding the specific benefits of a particular antibody, our Immunology Pioneers can develop monoclonal antibodies to act on specific substances that may be causing the disease.
current products
REMICADE® (infliximab)
Our greatest pioneering success to date is the development of REMICADE. REMICADE blocks the activity of a specific protein identified as an underlying cause of a number of autoimmune diseases. Click "more" to read the full indications and important safety information for REMICADE.
product pipeline
So what’s ahead for the Immunology Pioneers? We’re currently focusing on therapeutic areas of high unmet medical needs.
Our world-class product pipeline is robust with a variety of innovative products. Revolutionary products that are targeted at new therapeutic areas…and expanding current indications.
We’re exploring an array of new molecular entities that promise to take us well beyond our existing reach.
we are the immunology pioneers
Our scientists work diligently to unlock the secrets of the immune system. And one of the secrets they have uncovered is the interconnectedness of immune-related diseases.
The underlying cause of one disease could be a common element among many seemingly unrelated diseases. Therefore, by developing a biomedicine to treat the underlying cause, one drug could theoretically treat multiple diseases.
immunology
Centocor is dedicated to finding new treatments to improve the lives of people living with immune-related conditions, specifically in the areas of:
- Rheumatology
- Gastroenterology
- Dermatology
- Pulmonology
the science of biotechnology
What is the key to unlocking the secrets?
The Immunology Pioneers at Centocor have discovered the key can be found in the science of biotechnology.
Biotechnology is:
A collection of technologies that capitalize on the attributes of cells, such as their manufacturing capabilities, and put biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, to work for us; it also refers to the type of manufacturing process of the drug (biological process vs. chemical process).
hybridomas/monoclonal antibodies
How does Centocor create the drugs to treat disease? It starts with the hybridoma.
The human body creates cells called B lymphocytes, or B cells, which in turn make antibodies that selectively target viruses and bacteria. The problem is B cells don’t live long, making them difficult to study. To resolve this, the scientists at Centocor fuse a B cell with a multiplier cell—which lives and thrives—to create a cell line of exact clones that lives indefinitely. These fused cells are called hybridomas, which continually produce antibodies, thus providing our scientists longer-living cells to work with in developing new therapies.
from biotechnology to biomedicine
Centocor not only helped pioneer the engineering of monoclonal antibodies in chronic disease therapy, we also set the standard for large-scale biomedicine manufacturing.
It involves an extremely complex process called perfusion bioreaction, which occurs in three phases and can take months to complete.
current products
REMICADE® (infliximab)
Our greatest pioneering success to date is the development of REMICADE. REMICADE blocks the activity of a specific protein identified as an underlying cause of a number of autoimmune diseases.
Click here for Full U.S. Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.
(Requires Adobe® Reader®. Click here to download.)
product pipeline
So what’s ahead for the Immunology Pioneers? We’re currently focusing on therapeutic areas of high unmet medical needs.
Our world-class product pipeline is robust with a variety of innovative products. Revolutionary products that are targeted at new therapeutic areas…and expanding current indications.
We’re exploring an array of new molecular entities that promise to take us well beyond our existing reach.
educational grants
What is DOME?
Centocor is committed to conducting business in a manner that achieves the highest level of patient care and healthcare professional education. The Department of Medical Education (DOME):
- Communicates with customers about the appropriate use of Centocor products
- Supports scientific and educational activities in Centocor's therapeutic areas of interest
- Supports medical education that benefits Centocor's healthcare professionals and patients
What is STEP?
The grant application process is known as the Scientific, Therapeutic, and Educational Programming (STEP) Process.
 |
press releases
Subscribe Today!
08/08/2008
FDA EXTENDS REVIEW TIMELINE FOR USTEKINUMAB BIOLOGIC LICENSE APPLICATION THREE MONTHS
people
There are people who follow formulas for answers. Then there are those who create the formulas.
The people of Centocor have a pioneering spirit that differentiates them. We have a natural curiosity about the world around us. We challenge conventional thinking. Push the boundaries of the possible. And have a real passion for our work.
community
Community is vital to Centocor. We take seriously our responsibility to the communities in which we live and work.
Our Credo states that we have a responsibility to the community:
We must be good citizens -- support good works and charities and bear our fair share of taxes. We must encourage civic improvements and better health and education. We must maintain in good order the property we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources.
locations
PA Locations
Corporate Headquarters/Horsham
800/850 Ridgeview Dr
Horsham, PA 19044
Chesterbrook
955/965 Chesterbrook Blvd
Wayne, PA 19087
resources
For your convenience, here are links to various websites concerning disease states that are relevant to our work at Centocor: