During its presentation on the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2025, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) suggested it could undertake an aggressive strategic approach within the immunology space for the approaching 12 months. While speaking on the conference, J&J’s CEO, Joaquin Duato, indicated the corporate’s willingness to guard Stelara, its branded anti-interleukin (IL)-12/23 biologic, against sales erosion from the pending launches of cheaper biosimilars. The corporate expects an erosion curve just like the relatively slow lack of market share and revenue shown by AbbVie’s branded blockbuster adalimumab therapy, Humira.
The launch of cheaper adalimumab biosimilars within the US market in early 2023 didn’t end in the expected precipitous fall in Humira’s revenue or market share size. AbbVie’s ability to sustain its position and delay its lack of the adalimumab market was attributed to its rebate programmes for patients and delays within the adoption of competitors’ adalimumab biosimilars by pharmacy profit managers (PBMs). J&J’s suggestion of comparable aggressive positioning for Stelara could also be representative of the corporate’s overall strategy within the immunology space.
Vigorous protection of Stelara’s position within the immunology market aligns with a technique to grow within the space. In the course of the presentation, Duato also indicated the corporate’s excitement for the anticipated growth of Tremfya within the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) market, with 2024’s approval of the anti-IL-23 biologic in ulcerative colitis and an expected approval of the therapy for Crohn’s disease. Duato also mentioned that the corporate views the longer term entrance of its orally administered IL-23 asset in development, JNJ-2113, as a major market disruptor. J&J’s aggressive position with Stelara could also be seen as a stop-gap against the expansion of IL-12/23 biosimilars, allowing a possibility for Tremfya to take ground within the immunology space, in addition to making way for the launch of the oral candidate.
Duato also highlighted JNJ-2113’s oral route of administration as a favourable option for patients over intravenous or subcutaneous biologics. His reference to the therapy as having similar efficacy to current biologics implies that the drug will probably be positioned as a viable and preferable option for patients within the anti-IL-23 space, but not as a more efficacious recent therapy.
“Aggressive protection of Stelara may indicate J&J’s immunology strategy” was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.
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