New York, Feb 18, 2026, 15:12 EST — Regular session
- Johnson & Johnson climbed roughly 0.4% in afternoon trading, adding $1.03 for the session.
- J&J rolled out plans for a cell-therapy manufacturing push in Pennsylvania, committing over $1 billion to the effort.
- RYBREVANT FASPRO showed up twice in today’s FDA update list, pulling attention to the stock’s catalyst calendar.
Shares of Johnson & Johnson edged up 0.4% to $244.36, gaining $1.03 in Wednesday’s afternoon session. The uptick followed news from the company that it plans to pour over $1 billion into building a cell therapy manufacturing site in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. CEO Joaquin Duato said the new facility would help J&J keep “delivering for patients” while growing its U.S. output. (Jnj)
Timing is critical here. Drugmakers scrambled to expand U.S. production after President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, and last October the government slapped a 100% tariff on imported branded drugs—but companies with domestic plants already underway got a pass. J&J said its Pennsylvania facility is part of a broader plan to put more than $55 billion into U.S. manufacturing and research by early 2029, bringing over 4,000 construction jobs and about 500 full-time biomanufacturing positions. Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca have laid out their own big spending plans as well. (Reuters)
Not much of a jump in the stock, and there’s a reason for that. What investors are pressing for: clear timing on when the new plant comes online, plus breakdowns on how much of the outlay hits over the next few years.
The Pennsylvania build underscores something: tariffs have shifted from being mere political chatter to a real balance-sheet concern. Firms showing off U.S. capacity could gain the upper hand if trade restrictions snap back into place.
J&J picked up a regulatory boost Tuesday as the U.S. FDA cleared a streamlined monthly dosing plan for RYBREVANT FASPRO (amivantamab and hyaluronidase-lpuj) in combination with LAZCLUZE for first-line EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer. EGFR, a gene alteration, can drive tumor growth. “A monthly dosing schedule offers patients convenience without sacrificing efficacy,” said Danny Nguyen of City of Hope, who led the cited studies. (Jnj)
The FDA handed out Breakthrough Therapy Designation to subcutaneous amivantamab and hyaluronidase-lpuj, Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday. The nod covers use as a single-agent treatment for HPV-unrelated recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in patients who’ve already tried other therapies. “Patients with HPV-unrelated recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer often face rapid disease progression and have limited treatment options,” Kiran Patel, vice president at Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement. (Jnj)
Oncology news hits the tape sooner than a factory project that’s years out, yet it keeps the firm tethered to FDA verdicts that can quickly sway sentiment. Traders are eyeing any signals from management about added costs tied to tariffs or talk of expanding U.S. facilities.
The upside’s messy. There’s room for delays on major builds, and Breakthrough Therapy Designation stops well short of a green light—larger studies might still come up empty.
Johnson & Johnson’s first-quarter results and conference call are on the calendar for April 14. Investors will be looking for more detail on spending plans and 2026 priorities then. (Jnj)
