New York, January 6, 2026, 12:58 EST — Regular session
- Johnson & Johnson shares rose about 0.5% in midday trading
- Company flagged positive Phase 2b lupus data and plans to start Phase 3 testing
- J&J also filed in Europe to expand a myeloma drug combo, days ahead of quarterly results
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) shares rose on Tuesday after the company reported positive mid-stage data for its experimental lupus drug nipocalimab and outlined plans for late-stage testing. The stock was up $1.10, or 0.5%, at $205.41 in midday New York trading.
The update puts fresh focus on J&J’s drug pipeline at a time investors are leaning on healthcare for steadier earnings and dividends. New medicines are also a key lever for the company as it looks to offset slower growth in mature brands and keep pricing power in its core franchises.
It also lands ahead of the company’s quarterly report later this month, when management is expected to lay out priorities for 2026. Traders will be watching whether pipeline wins can outweigh legal and regulatory noise that has dogged the company for years.
J&J said nipocalimab met the main goal of the Phase 2b JASMINE study at Week 24, with a statistically significant share of patients reaching an SRI-4 response versus placebo, and it reported no new safety signals. SRI-4 is a composite score used to measure lupus activity, while nipocalimab is an FcRn blocker designed to lower IgG antibodies; J&J estimates systemic lupus erythematosus affects 3 million to 5 million people worldwide, including about 450,000 in the United States. “SLE is a serious autoantibody-driven disease that can impact multiple organ systems,” said Leonard Dragone, a disease-area leader at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. JNJ.com
In a separate release, J&J said it submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency to extend Tecvayli’s use in combination with Darzalex given under the skin, for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma — meaning the cancer has returned or stopped responding — after at least one prior therapy. The filing is backed by Phase 3 data showing longer progression-free survival, the time before the disease worsens, and overall survival versus standard treatment, the company said. “There remains a critical need for off-the-shelf treatment options,” said Ester in ’t Groen, J&J’s EMEA therapeutic area head for haematology. JNJ.com
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund was up 1.7%, and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF gained 0.4%. J&J lagged that sector advance, while Pfizer rose about 1.5% and Merck added about 1.6%.
But the stock still faces an overhang from talc litigation, with more trials expected to restart this year after three unsuccessful attempts to resolve the cases through bankruptcy. The ovarian-cancer claims account for the bulk of remaining cases from more than 67,000 plaintiffs, according to court filings. A special master is expected to issue a ruling in the coming weeks re-evaluating expert evidence in the federal cases; J&J says its products are safe and do not cause cancer.
Investors now turn to J&J’s fourth-quarter results and conference call scheduled for Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with attention on the 2026 outlook and any updates on key late-stage programs.
