New York, Jan 27, 2026, 20:05 EST — Market closed.
- J&J shares ended Tuesday up 1.3%, touching the session’s peak before leveling off in late trading.
- The FDA approved a Darzalex Faspro combination for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients ineligible for stem-cell transplants.
- Attention shifts to Wednesday’s Fed decision amid ongoing U.S. policy headlines that have rattled healthcare stocks.
Shares of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) ticked up Tuesday following U.S. regulatory clearance to broaden the indication for its Darzalex Faspro treatment in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. The stock ended the session 1.34% higher at $224.46 and showed little movement after hours. 1
The label expansion hands the company a clear, drug-by-drug catalyst just as investors have been waiting for one. In healthcare, policy usually moves the market. Product victories still count.
Tuesday’s trading proved challenging. Health insurers took a sharp hit after a Medicare payment proposal, dragging the Dow down 0.83%. Yet the S&P 500 closed at a record high, and the Nasdaq rose 0.91%, Reuters reported. “There’s a little bit of a bifurcated market today,” said Phil Blancato, chief market strategist at Osaic Wealth. 2
The Food and Drug Administration has greenlit Darzalex Faspro — daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj — combined with the VRd regimen (bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone) for adults newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who can’t undergo an autologous stem cell transplant, which uses their own cells. In the CEPHEUS trial, the FDA reported this combo boosted the “minimal residual disease” negativity rate—meaning cancer cells were undetectable—to 52.3%, compared to 34.8% with VRd alone. It also reduced the risk of disease progression or death by roughly 40% (hazard ratio 0.60). June Lanoue, U.S. president for hematology at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, noted this marks the twelfth indication for Darzalex Faspro overall. 3
Late in the session, Washington delivered another jolt. The U.S. government announced 15 drugs targeted for Medicare price negotiations in 2028 under the Inflation Reduction Act, ramping up pressure on pricing power in big pharma. “We continue to expect that the impacts will be manageable,” said BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman. 4
J&J outpaced the wider healthcare sector, even as the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund fell roughly 1.7% Tuesday. That divergence might not last, but it was notable during a day when managed-care stocks led the losses.
Investors will be watching closely for signals from big pharma earnings next week. Pfizer plans an analyst call on Feb. 3, while AbbVie is set to release its report on Feb. 4 before the market opens, per company announcements. 5
But the upside isn’t straightforward. J&J remains weighed down by ongoing talc litigation. This month, a court-appointed special master suggested permitting expert testimony that links the company’s talc products to ovarian cancer—a recommendation the presiding judge may approve or dismiss. 6
Income investors have another key date on their radar. Johnson & Johnson announced in early January it will pay a $1.30 quarterly dividend on March 10, with the ex-dividend date set for Feb. 24. 7
The next key event is the Federal Reserve’s policy statement, scheduled for 2 p.m. EST Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference following at 2:30 p.m. EST. Given that J&J is seen as a defensive stock by many investors, shifts in rate expectations and bond yields could shape the market once U.S. trading resumes. 8
