Nov 17 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) said on

Monday it would buy privately held Halda Therapeutics for $3.05

billion in cash, expanding its presence in treatments targeting

solid tumors and prostate cancer.

This marks the medtech conglomerate's second major deal this

year, after its $14.6 billion acquisition of neurological drug

maker Intra-Cellular Therapies in January, reinforcing its

strategy to expand higher-growth healthcare segments through new

launches as it navigates the loss of exclusivity for its

blockbuster immune disease treatment Stelara.

J&J has also pursued multiple deals in recent years to

strengthen its pharmaceuticals and medical devices units,

including a $13.1 billion purchase of Shockwave Medical in 2024.

Halda's lead drug candidate, HLD-0915, is in early to

mid-stage development for the treatment of prostate cancer. The

company also has several early-stage experimental treatments for

breast, lung and other types of tumors.

Its "innovative technology is designed to work even when

cancers no longer respond to standard treatments using a novel

mechanism that enables the selective killing of cancer cells,"

said John Reed, executive vice president of pharmaceutical

research and development at Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ).

Halda's RiPTAC technology works by linking a cancer marker

to a protein essential for cell survival, selectively disabling

that protein in cancer cells so they die while sparing the

healthy ones.

J&J expects the deal to close within the next few months.