New York, Feb 23, 2026, 14:17 ET — Regular session
- Johnson & Johnson climbed roughly 1.3% in afternoon trading, moving higher even as the wider market slipped.
- The drugmaker said its lung-cancer therapy Rybrevant got the green light from the EU for expanded subcutaneous dosing.
- Bayer’s latest lawsuit targeting prostate-cancer drug marketing adds more legal uncertainty.
Shares of Johnson & Johnson climbed 1.3% to $245.62 on Monday afternoon. The move came after the company announced the European Commission had signed off on broader dosing options for its lung-cancer drug Rybrevant—a boost that allowed the stock to stay in positive territory even as U.S. equities slipped.
Healthcare stands out right now, with investors gravitating there as tariffs shake up the market. Even in this environment, product news in the sector still gets attention—especially from those searching for more stable earnings.
Wall Street’s major indexes slipped, weighed down by fresh tariff jitters that dampened risk appetite. Healthcare stocks, though, edged higher in spots—Eli Lilly stood out, climbing after a drug trial update put it head-to-head with Novo Nordisk. “Markets don’t like uncertainty,” said Steve Sosnick, Interactive Brokers’ chief market analyst. 1
Johnson & Johnson announced that European regulators have approved expanding Rybrevant’s marketing authorisation, now allowing more subcutaneous dosing options—so, injections under the skin instead of the standard IV drip—for some patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. The company pointed out that the subcutaneous route slashes administration time to just minutes, and referenced data indicating comparable safety and efficacy to the intravenous version. “Better align treatment with individual patient needs,” said Silvia Novello, medical oncology professor at the University of Turin. 2
The company flagged new long-term results from its QUASAR extension study on Tremfya in ulcerative colitis, reporting that 80.8% of patients hit clinical remission by Week 140, without any new safety issues turning up. “Strengthen confidence in the long-term use,” said study lead Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet. Esi Lamousé-Smith, speaking for Johnson & Johnson, described the data as “raising expectations” among patients. 3
Monday’s session brought a sharp reminder: legal news can hit the tape out of nowhere. Bayer filed suit against Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Biotech arm in Manhattan federal court, alleging the company misled in advertising around its prostate-cancer drug Erleada when compared to Bayer’s Nubeqa. Johnson & Johnson hasn’t yet answered requests for comment. 4
The company’s talc litigation remains in focus, with Johnson & Johnson still confronting tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its former talc-based baby powder caused harm. The company has pushed back against those claims, maintaining its denial and confirming plans to appeal any verdicts that go against it. 5
Underneath the headlines, there’s a bigger question: will Monday’s product updates actually spark demand, especially as tariffs and policy swings keep rattling day-to-day flows—even among defensive names?
Johnson & Johnson stock trades ex-dividend Feb. 24—investors picking up shares after that won’t get the upcoming $1.30 per share quarterly dividend. The payout, announced earlier, is set for March 10. 6
