Johnson & Johnson acquires Obaris
Only a year after its incorporation, OBaris AG was acquired by Johnson & Johnson, marking the beginning of a new phase of innovation in drug delivery. As a pre-clinical medtech company, OBaris AG was advancing a proprietary technology platform designed to transform the administration of peptide-based therapeutics, offering a painless and patient-friendly alternative to traditional injections.
OBaris AG is a preclinical-stage spin-off from ETH Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) founded in 2024. Following six years of research, the startup has developed a technology platform, OctoPatch, a painless suction patch that can be easily self-applied to the inner side of a person’s cheek. The patch design is inspired by an octopus sucker: it applies negative pressure to the buccal mucosa, and together with natural permeation enhancers, it temporarily disrupts the barrier, enabling drugs to efficiently reach the bloodstream. The patch, spanning a few millimeters in diameter, stays in place for a very short period of time, before it is removed.
The technology platform can be used across multiple therapeutic indications. To this end, however, OBaris has conducted a proof-of-concept study with drugs used in treatment of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis, demonstrating the potential of their solution – the results are promising.
The startup has now joined the Johnson & Johnson family to further develop OctoPatch and OBaris co-founders, David Klein Cerrejon and Nevena Paunović will continue as part of the Johnson & Johnson team where they will further advance their platform technology.
“This acquisition is the result of strong technology development, the dedication of the OBaris team, and the invaluable support we’ve received from a strong network of individuals, as well as from the academic and start-up ecosystem”, comments the co-founders. “With its vast experience in drug development, Johnson & Johnson is an ideal partner to advance the technology and bring it to patients.”
Prior to the exit, OBaris did not secure equity funding. Instead, the startup was supported by several ecosystem players, who provided over CHF 1 million in investment in the form of non-dilutive funds and convertible loans. Among the supporters are organizations such as the ETH Foundation, USZ Foundation, Evi-Diethelm Winterle Stiftung, Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Innosuisse, Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF and Venture Kick as well as Lenz & Staehelin as their legal advisor.
(RAN)