Johnson and Johnson has now delivered five consecutive quarters of at least 6% revenue growth, demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of significant headwinds.
The pharmaceutical giant’s immunology portfolio absorbed a serious blow when Stelara lost patent protection in the United States, dragging its sales down sharply from a 2024 peak of $10.4 billion.
Stelara revenues fell to $6.7 billion last year as biosimilar competition moved in and eroded the drug’s once dominant market position across key therapeutic areas.
The decline has continued into 2026, with Stelara’s worldwide second-quarter sales falling 55% year over year to just $740 million, reflecting the accelerating pressure from cheaper rivals.
That represents a year-over-year drop of $913 million for Stelara in a single quarter, a figure that would have caused serious alarm without a credible replacement waiting in the wings.
Tremfya has emerged as that replacement, posting a 72% sales increase in the second quarter and generating $2.05 billion in worldwide revenue for the period.
Tremfya’s quarterly sales grew by $862 million year over year, effectively offsetting almost the entire decline recorded by Stelara during the same period.
Jennifer Taubert, J&J’s innovative medicines chief, pointed directly to inflammatory bowel disease as the engine powering Tremfya’s impressive commercial momentum in recent months.
“The major driver here is our performance in ulcerative colitis and in Crohn’s disease,” Taubert said during a conference call, noting that Tremfya is currently leading in IBD.
Taubert underlined the scale of the opportunity by drawing a direct comparison to Stelara’s historical performance across the same disease categories before biosimilar competition arrived.
“And as a reminder, back when we had Stelara here, over 75% of Stelara sales were in IBD. There is absolutely no reason why Tremfya can’t do that or even more,” she said.
Beyond Tremfya, J&J is also moving to broaden its immunology portfolio with the launch of Icotyde, its newest IL-23 inhibitor, approved by the FDA four months ago for plaque psoriasis.
Icotyde stands out in a market heavily dominated by injected biologic therapies, offering patients a daily pill option that could appeal to those seeking a more convenient treatment route.
The combination of Tremfya’s accelerating growth and Icotyde’s early launch positions J&J’s immunology franchise for continued strength even as Stelara’s contribution continues to fade.