Despite significant advances in the treatment of inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, many patients continue to experience progressive tissue remodelling, fibrosis, stricture formation, and fistulizing complications that drive long-term morbidity. While current therapeutic approaches have focused primarily on controlling inflammation, growing evidence suggests that stromal and fibroinflammatory pathways play a central role in disease progression and may represent the next generation of therapeutic opportunities.
Johnson & Johnson invites you to join us in Barcelona for an exclusive discussion focused on the emerging science of fibroinflammation across the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, including eosinophilic esophagitis, fibrostenotic Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease.
Bringing together biotech innovators, investors, key opinion leaders, and scientific experts, this event will explore the emerging science of fibroinflammation and the implications for disease pathogenesis and treatment. Through expert presentations and an interactive panel discussion, attendees will gain insights into emerging therapeutic approaches, clinical development strategies, and the opportunities shaping this rapidly advancing field.
Â
Register now to secure your place. The event will be livestreamed as well if you prefer to participate virtually (use virtual ticket in the RSVP form).
Innovators developing approaches that address the stromal and fibroinflammatory drivers of GI disease are also invited to apply for an in-person 1:1 partnering meeting with Johnson & Johnson's GI leaders in Barcelona on 19 October.
Meet with… Johnson & Johnson GI leaders in BarcelonaÂ
Johnson & Johnson is seeking to connect with innovators developing innovative approaches that address the stromal and fibroinflammatory drivers of gastrointestinal disease.Â
Â
Deadline: Thursday, 1 Oct
Moderator: Esi Lamousé-Smith | VP Gastroenterology Disease Area Lead, Immunology | Johnson & Johnson
Astrid Clarke | Senior Director Discovery Immunology | Johnson & Johnson
Neil Henderson | Founder &Â CSO | Forth Therapeutics
Florian Rieder | IBD Specialist and Physician Scientist | Cleveland Clinic
Tim Knotnerus | CEO | AgomabÂ
Fiona MacLaughlin | VP Venture Investments | Johnson & Johnson
Â
Dr. Esi Lamousé, MD, PhD is an immunologist, pediatric gastroenterologist, and Vice President in Immunology leading the Gastroenterology Disease Area Stronghold (GI DAS) at Johnson and Johnson Innovative Medicine. She joined Johnson and Johnson in 2017 and has been in the role of GI DAS lead since July 2024. As a GI DAS leader, Dr. Lamousé leads a matrixed team to drive the end-to-end portfolio strategy for inflammatory bowel disease and other GI diseases for the Immunology Therapeutic Area.
Â
Dr. Lamousé, has a strong and expert background in basic science research, translational medicine, and early phase drug development. She previously led as head of Translational Medicine Immunology overseeing the clinical development strategy and trial execution of early phase portfolio assets (portfolio entry through Ph2a) across the breadth of the Immunology disease and pathway area strongholds.
Â
Prior to joining Johnson and Johnson, Dr. Lamousé was an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center. During her academic career, she led a basic science research program focused on interrogating the impact of maternal gut dysbiosis on development of the infant gut microbiome, infant systemic adaptive immune function, and early life brain and gut neuronal development. Her clinical practice focus was on pediatric onset autoimmune & allergic gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic esophagitis), and intestinal failure.
Â
Dr. Lamousé was awarded a BS in Biological Sciences from SUNY at Binghamton, completed her MD and PhD in Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh (MSTP Program), and trained in general pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center. Following pediatric and chief residency, she pursued fellowship training in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard University.Â
Astrid Clarke is a Discovery Immunology leader at J&J Innovative Medicines, where she focuses on delivering on our early GI portfolio, advancing external innovation opportunities, and supporting clinical-stage assets and differentiation workstreams. She leads research teams in both La Jolla, CA and Spring House, PA and works in close partnership with the GI leadership team as the Discovery GI DAS lead to guide, shape and advance our strategic early portfolio. Astrid brings deep experience in all stages of drug development and in establishing partnerships to serve patients with IBD.
Astrid holds a PhD in Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder and she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, MA. She has held senior positions directing research for pre-IND and Phase 1 Oncology programs at Seagen/Pfizer and earlier for 11 years leading inflammation research programs for IBD and Oncology at Gilead Sciences, including for Jyseleca and an oral α4β7 inhibitor.Â
 Dr. Rieder is Vice Department Chair, Co-Director of the IBD section, Director of IBD research and Director of the Program of Global Translational IBD at the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland. His clinical focus is patients with IBD with a special emphasis on the field of pathogenesis, prediction and therapy of intestinal fibrosis. Dr. Rieder has published more than 250 articles (h-index 70) and book chapters and has been recognized for his expertise as indicated through invitations to clinical guideline steering committees of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO), lead author of the ECCO guidelines on Ulcerative colitis, lead author of the first ECCO clinical consensus on ‘Diagnosis and Management of Intestinal Fibrosis’ and the Global Consensus of Management of Stricturing Crohn’s disease. He received more than 200 national and international invitations as a speaker, session chair or conference faculty. Dr. Rieder serves as an abstract reviewer for all major GI conferences, he is past associate editor (Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology) and on several editorial boards of medical journals. He is proud of his significant ties to the ECCO, which he served as the chair of Y-ECCO, member of the ECCO operational board, prior Y-ECCO committee member and member of the scientific committee. He is past chair of REACH-IBD and Co-Chair of the Professional Education Committee of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the IMIBD section of the AGA. Dr. Rieder is the leading PI on the international Stenosis Therapy and Research (STAR) Consortium with the goal to build a pathway to test anti-fibrotic medications in stricturing Crohn’s disease and was awarded the Sherman Emerging Leaders award. He is member of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD).
Â
Gillian Tannahill is an Immunology Scientific Innovation Lead at J&J Innovative Medicines, where she focuses on identifying, advancing, and translating cutting‑edge external innovation across the EMEA region. She works in close partnership with the Janssen Immunology Therapeutic Area to shape early‑stage opportunities in disruptive immunology science through R&D collaborations, licensing, equity investments, company incubation with JLABS, and new company formation.
Gillian brings deep experience at the interface of science, innovation, and deal‑making. Her scientific background underpins her strategic approach to innovation. Gillian holds a PhD in Immunology and completed postdoctoral training at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne and Trinity College Dublin. She has also held senior roles at GSK, where she led biology and biomarker strategies supporting experimental medicine studies, and later, as Director within GSK’s Immunology Network, established partnerships with leading academic immunologists worldwide.Â
Tim Knotnerus is the CEO of Agomab, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel disease-modifying therapies for fibro-inflammatory diseases. The company's concept is to develop organ-restricted ALK5 (TGFβR1) inhibitors designed to deliver direct anti-fibrotic activity in the target tissue. The lead compound is ontunisertib, an oral, gastrointestinal-restricted small molecule inhibitor of ALK5  in Phase 2b clinical development for Fibrostenosing Crohn’s Disease.
Prior to AgomAb, Mr. Knotnerus was leading corporate development at AM-Pharma B.V. and prior to that, he was an investor at Aescap Venture. Mr. Knotnerus holds an executive MBA from IMD, and earned two scientific Master degree programs from Utrecht University.
This program is from Johnson & Johnson and represents a selection of activities from across our Innovation Centers, JLABS and JJDC. The information in this program is for informational purposes only. The information is either proprietary or licensed to Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates or is provided by or proprietary to third parties. In case of third-party information, please note that only those third parties that provided or own this information are responsible for it. By providing this information, Johnson & Johnson do not endorse these third parties or any of the information provided in this program. This content is not intended to influence the use, sale, recommendation, or promotion of any products or services of Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson is not responsible or liable for any actions you do or do not take in relation to this information and are not responsible for any use of this information by you. By providing the information in this program, Johnson & Johnson does not make any representations, warranties, or assurances, express or implied, as to the content or the information presented in this program and is not responsible for any use by or alterations of this information by you. Johnson & Johnson hereby expressly disclaims any and all guarantees, representations, warranties, or assurances and assumes no responsibility or liability, direct or indirect in relation to the information in this program.