Johnson & Johnson acquired Lexington, Mass.-based private biotechnology company TARIS BioMedical Inc., which specializes in the development of a drug delivery technology to treat bladder diseases, including cancer.

TARIS will maintain its research operations in Lexington and will become a part of Janssen R&D's oncology therapeutic area, J&J noted in its Dec. 20 press release.

TARIS' lead product candidate TAR-200, uses the biotech's proprietary technology that allows the continuous release of a drug into the patient's bladder through a silicon-based device.

Janssen's oncology research program will use TARIS' technology to advance current experimental treatments and explore new candidates.

New Brunswick, N.J.-based J&J did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.