BIOTHERAPIES PAVILION

PARTICIPANT SPOTLIGHT

2026 Biotherapies Pavilion Participant Spotlight: Johnson & Johnson

AABB interviewed May Lee Tjoa, senior global medical affairs leader for autoantibody and maternal-fetal immunology at Johnson & Johnson, a participating organization in the Biotherapies Pavilion & Learning Theater at the 2026 AABB Annual Meeting. Read the interview below to learn more about the Johnson & Johnson team.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name? Where are you from? What is your role at Johnson & Johnson and how long have you been part of the team?

My name is May Lee Tjoa and I am the senior global medical affairs leader for autoantibody and maternal-fetal immunology. I have been a part of Johnson & Johnson for six years.

What about Johnson & Johnson. When was it founded? What products and services do you provide? What is your mission and how many people work there?

The company was founded by Robert Wood Johnson I, James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson Sr. in 1886 and is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A. with approximately 140,000 employees worldwide.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is a global healthcare leader, committed to solving the toughest health challenges and transforming lives through research, development, manufacture and distribution of medicines and medical technologies. The company's Innovative Medicine business advances breakthrough science and develops transformational treatments in areas like oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiopulmonary. In MedTech, the company is focused on developing and delivering cardiovascular, surgery, and vision solutions. Visit jnj.com to learn more.

What would you say has been the biggest challenge for your area of the business - rare autoantibody disease - in the past five years?

People living with rare diseases may experience complex care journeys.¹ Those living with rare diseases² may face challenges related to diagnosis and access to appropriate healthcare services.^1,3 At the same time, care may involve multiple healthcare professionals and stakeholders, that may not always be well connected.¹ Addressing these gaps requires stronger cross-specialty collaboration, clearer education and communication,¹ and research that generates meaningful evidence about clinical outcomes and unmet needs.²

"Our most important goals are to deepen understanding of autoantibody diseases, generate and communicate evidence that helps to address meaningful gaps in care, and help healthcare professionals recognize and manage these conditions through relevant, accessible medical education."

What are your most important goals in the Autoantibody disease area of Global Medical Affairs for this year and next? What are you most excited to see develop?

Our most important goals are to deepen understanding of autoantibody diseases, generate and communicate evidence that helps to address meaningful gaps in care, and help healthcare professionals recognize and manage these conditions through relevant, accessible medical education. We also want to strengthen connections across specialties and with patient communities so that insights from clinical practice and lived experience can inform our work. I am especially excited by the evolution of digital medical education. More interactive virtual platforms, podcasts, webinars and other emerging technologies can help healthcare professionals learn from experts and peers around the world. These tools can also expand access to trusted disease education for patients and help them connect with relevant communities and resources.

How did Johnson & Johnson first start collaborating with AABB? How do you see AABB's role in helping companies such as yours continue to advance within the biotherapies field?

Our colleagues in Oncology historically led J&J's collaboration with AABB. As new biotherapies have emerged in immunology, opportunities have expanded for AABB and J&J to engage across additional disease areas and therapies. AABB plays an important role in patient care, research and policy in these areas, and we are learning from the organization as we consider how to tailor our processes to help patients access new therapies. AABB is also a trusted source of medical education on emerging innovations and data, helping make these resources available to broad audiences.

"As new biotherapies have emerged in immunology, opportunities have expanded for AABB and J&J to engage across additional disease areas and therapies. AABB plays an important role in patient care, research and policy in these areas, and we are learning from the organization as we consider how to tailor our processes to help patients access new therapies."

What are you most looking forward to at this year's AABB Annual Meeting?

I am personally looking forward to connecting with AABB members at our exhibit booth, as well as at the Biotherapies Pavilion. Last year (2025) was my first time at the AABB Annual Meeting and I came home feeling incredibly energized by the level of engagement during the conference. I look forward to soaking up the same this year!

References:

Officer TN, Roguski M, Bennett L, et al. Health service access and delivery for people living with rare disorders: a scoping review. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2026;21:301.
Choi P, Hoi A, Fu R, et al. Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia management in AsiaPacific: a Delphi panel expert consensus and systematic literature review. EJHaem. 2025;6(6):e70174.
Faye F, Crocione C, Anido de Peña R, et al. Time to diagnosis and determinants of diagnostic delays of people living with a rare disease: results of a Rare Barometer retrospective patient survey. Eur J Hum Genet. 2024;32:1116-1126.