Pharmaceutical and health care brands founded in New Brunswick, New Jersey

Background. New Brunswick, New Jersey, is a city in Middlesex County known as the "Healthcare City" due to its concentration of medical facilities. It serves as a regional commercial hub and hosts the corporate headquarters of several global pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson. The city's medical infrastructure supports its reputation as a center for healthcare and pharmaceutical innovation.

Founding. Robert Wood Johnson joined his brothers James and Edward to create a line of ready-to-use sterile surgical dressings in 1886. They founded Johnson & Johnson with 14 employees, consisting of eight women and six men. The company opened its first factory in the old Janeway and Carpenter factory on Neilson Street in New Brunswick. This 1886 date is the founding year supported by the supplied passages; the 1888 date attached to the legacy row is a placeholder and does not supersede it.

Early Operations. In 1888, the company distributed 85,000 copies of "Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment" to doctors and pharmacists. That same year, the first commercial first aid kit was designed to support railroad construction workers who were often far from medical care. These actions established the firm's early market presence.