THE WHAT? Johnson & Johnson has opened the doors of its JLABS hub in Washington, D.C., which will serve as a hub for up to 50 start-ups.

THE DETAILS With the new location for the incubator arm of J&J having been announced two years ago, the 50 start-ups taking up space will span pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer and health tech companies.

The hub is said attract companies from the U.S. and worldwide aiming to tap into talent in the D.C. region, while Acclinate, a digital health company, is looking to diversify clinical trials. 

According to a report by Fierce Biotech, Acclinate works on building trust within communities of color and offering education about the benefits of healthy living and the importance of clinical trials. 

THE WHY? Discussing the start-up selection for the hub, Sally Allain, Head of JLabs Washington D.C. said, “We’ve selected companies that are here in the [D.C., Maryland and Virginia] region and we’ve also selected a company from New York and one from Alabama that are looking specifically to expand in the D.C. area.
“We have two international companies coming in as part of the first group of companies.”

Talking about the benefits of the new location, Delmonize Smith, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Acclinate. continued, “Being four miles from the FDA, being in the center of D.C. where so much of regulation takes place and is discussed—our plan is to be at those tables to lend insights and solutions to those problems.”