Last week I (along with several other advocates) was given the amazing opportunity to tour Janssen’s labs where they produce Remicade. It was an absolutely incredible experience and today I want to tell you a little bit about it and how it was a big eye-opener for me.
Upon meeting several Janssen employees and the president, Michael Yang, the motivation behind what they do became clear to me. At Janssen, I can say with all certainty, that the passion behind what they do lies in the patients. Each one of them lit up upon meeting the people that these medications are being produced for. I felt that none of them were being disingenuous.
Before this opportunity, I felt that pharmaceutical companies were cold, disconnected and only saw patients as dollar signs or numbers. Let’s face it… the price tags on some of these drugs are astronomical. You’ll go broke trying to pay for half a dose! I can now say with confidence that I was vastly mistaken about who these people really are.
The research that goes into making these drugs is ongoing. Janssen (and I’m sure many other pharmaceutical companies as well), are constantly working on quality control. Biologic treatments, such as Remicade, are made up of live cells. Because of this, these cells are prone to bacterial infections and viruses. The production of making these medications and making sure they’re safe for patients gets pretty pricey. At Janssen, each batch of Remicade is tested and filtered out to ensure the patients’ safety is top priority.
Many of you may have seen the photos (or even videos) of an employee going through the “gowning” process. If you haven’t, the gowning process is simply a lab technician washing up and dressing in layers and layers of boots, gloves, scrubs, smocks and bodysuits. A doctor-in-training friend of mine told me that, in essence, these people are making themselves even more sterile than a doctor does when going into surgery! Doing this is not protecting the technician, per se. Instead, their main concern is to make sure that they do not contaminate our medications. As many of you know, our immune systems are terrible anyway… no one wants to have to fight off anything extra!
http://wp.me/p6UI9Q-8H I was vastly mistaken about drug companies. #IBD #BioExperience Click To TweetIt isn’t just the currently available medications that they are focused on, either. Janssen and other pharmaceutical companies are constantly researching our diseases. They want to know why our bodies react the way they do. They want to know what triggers the diseases. They want to understand why some UC patients with j-pouches are more prone to pouchitis as opposed to someone who gets a j-pouch because of a traumatic event. There was talk of the possibility that pouchitis might actually be a manifestation of UC.
UC and Crohn’s aren’t the only area of IBD that is being researched. When the subject of Indeterminate Colitis was brought up, they were quick to tell us, that they consider all aspects and classifications of IBD. There was even talk about possibly reclassifying the diseases entirely. They understand that IBD is so complex that it varies from person-to-person. Which is why they are looking at focusing on the individuals’ needs as well. They’re even looking into ways to “reset” our bodies in order to stop our guts from attacking us.
Janssen knows and understands that we, as patients, aren’t interested in “better treatments.” We are interested in cures–which is why, by the way, their labs work 24/7, 365 days a year. No weekends, no holidays. There is always someone working at Janssen. The lab technicians themselves work 12 hour shifts. That’s how committed they are in helping us. I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s a labor of love.
http://wp.me/p6UI9Q-8H Janssen knows that #IBD patients want a CURE not a quick fix #BioExperience Click To Tweet
There is so much more that was said during the BioExperience tour. Much of it was scientific and way over my head. I wish I could go back and “relive” it… I know I’d be able to digest more information! But anyway… this is what a non-scientific, right-brained individual got out of it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If I don’t have the answer, I will do my best to get the answer. Love you guys! Until next time, KEEP FIGHTING!
