J&J taps kidney specialist Vifor for Invokana marketing help

Johnson & Johnson scored a one-of-a-kind win for SGLT2 med Invokana in September with an FDA approval to treat kidney disease. Now, as a newcomer to the field, J&J is seeking an experienced hand to help sell its flagging med.

The company has agreed (PDF) to share marketing in the new indication with Vifor Pharma, it said Monday. The agreement will allow Vifor to market Invokana for patients with Type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) to U.S. nephrologists––a group it knows well, thanks to its 11 kidney disease products currently on the market.