New York, January 6, 2026, 21:28 EST — Market closed
- J&J filed in Europe to expand use of Tecvayli with Darzalex for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
- The company also posted Phase 2b results for lupus drug candidate nipocalimab and said it is moving into Phase 3.
- JNJ shares ended up 0.23% at $204.79, with investors watching U.S. labour data and J&J’s January 21 results.
Johnson & Johnson shares closed up 0.23% on Tuesday after the company announced fresh clinical and regulatory updates across oncology and immunology.
The developments matter now because investors are looking for durable growth drivers heading into quarterly results later this month, when management is expected to frame demand trends and the pipeline into 2026.
Late-stage filings and mid-stage readouts can move the outlook for a drugmaker even when the stock barely budges on the day, especially for a large-cap name where incremental product wins tend to show up in guidance and long-range forecasts.
Johnson & Johnson said it submitted a Type II variation application to the European Medicines Agency to expand TECVAYLI (teclistamab) in combination with DARZALEX (daratumumab) subcutaneous for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma after at least one prior therapy. The filing is backed by the Phase 3 MajesTEC-3 study, which the company said showed a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival — the time patients live without the cancer worsening — and overall survival versus standard regimens; the hazard ratio, a measure of relative risk over time, was 0.17.
In a separate release, the company said its Phase 2b JASMINE study of experimental lupus therapy nipocalimab met its primary endpoint: the share of patients reaching an SRI-4 response at Week 24 versus placebo. “Many people living with SLE also face complications associated with long-term steroid use,” Leonard L. Dragone, a disease area leader at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, said. JNJ.com
JNJ ended at $204.79, after trading between $204.40 and $206.71, according to Investing.com data, and sits about 5% below its 52-week high of $215.18. The stock fell 1.47% a day earlier, when it closed at $204.31.
The broader market tone was supportive on Tuesday, with Wall Street ending higher and the Dow closing at a record, as chip stocks rallied and the healthcare index gained. Investors are also bracing for earnings season in the coming weeks, with valuations still elevated by historical standards.
Traders will be watching Wednesday’s U.S. labour releases — including private payrolls and the government’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey — ahead of Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report, which can shift rate expectations and ripple into defensives such as big pharma. “The most impactful publication will be ADP’s monthly jobs report,” Jose Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers, said. Reuters+1
A key risk is that trial wins and filings do not guarantee approvals or smooth uptake, particularly if regulators focus on safety signals in heavily pre-treated cancer patients. Johnson & Johnson also continues to face litigation over talc-based products, with more trials expected this year and a court-appointed special master due to revisit expert evidence in coming weeks, according to court filings cited by Reuters.
Investors’ next clear catalyst is Johnson & Johnson’s fourth-quarter results call on Wednesday, January 21, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, when CEO Joaquin Duato and CFO Joseph Wolk are scheduled to discuss results and outlook.
