Johnson & Johnson's Icotyde Approved by FDA for Psoriasis
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 18 2026
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Should l Buy JNJ?
Source: Newsfilter
- FDA Approval: Johnson & Johnson's once-daily oral medication Icotyde has received FDA approval, marking a significant breakthrough as the first oral option for treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
- Significant Market Potential: J&J anticipates peak annual sales of Icotyde exceeding $5 billion, showcasing its strong competitive edge in the treatment market, particularly against injectable drugs like Tremfya and Skyrizi.
- Increased Patient Acceptance: Targeting the IL-23 receptor, Icotyde offers a non-injection treatment option, expected to attract 75% of the 8 million U.S. psoriasis patients who typically avoid injections, significantly enhancing patient treatment experiences.
- Future Expansion Plans: J&J is also testing Icotyde for other autoimmune conditions such as psoriatic arthritis and Crohn's disease, further broadening its market applications and strengthening the company's strategic position in the biopharmaceutical sector.
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Analyst Views on JNJ
Wall Street analysts forecast JNJ stock price to fall
20 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 234.180
Low
190.00
Averages
218.50
High
240.00
Current: 234.180
Low
190.00
Averages
218.50
High
240.00
About JNJ
Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries are engaged in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of a range of products in the healthcare field. The Company’s segments include Innovative Medicine and MedTech. The Innovative Medicine segment is focused on various therapeutic areas, including immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, pulmonary hypertension, cardiovascular and metabolism. Its products include REMICADE (infliximab), SIMPONI (golimumab), SIMPONI ARIA (golimumab), STELARA (ustekinumab), TREMFYA (guselkumab), EDURANT (rilpivirine), and INVEGA SUSTENNA/XEPLION (paliperidone palmitate). The MedTech segment includes a portfolio of products used in cardiovascular, orthopedics, surgery, and vision categories. The Cardiovascular portfolio includes electrophysiology products to treat heart rhythm disorders and circulatory restoration products (Shockwave) for the treatment of calcified coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Beat Expectations: Johnson & Johnson's Q1 2026 earnings report exceeded expectations with approximately $4 billion in revenue from its blood cancer treatment Darzalex, yet investor response was muted, leading to a slight decline in stock price post-release.
- Drug Sales Dynamics: Tremfya, used for treating inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis, generated $1.6 billion in sales; however, the expiration of Stelara's patent resulted in a significant drop in sales from $1.6 billion in Q1 2025 to $656 million in Q1 2026, highlighting increased competitive pressures.
- Stock Price Analysis: Despite a robust 52% increase in stock price over the past year, recent muted market reactions following the earnings report have led to a pullback, indicating a lack of significant news to drive stock price movements in the short term, warranting caution from investors.
- Long-Term Investment Outlook: Johnson & Johnson has consistently increased its dividend for 64 consecutive years, showcasing stability, and with a promising drug pipeline, despite a higher forward price-to-earnings ratio, it remains attractive by blending stability with upside potential.
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- Oversold Signal: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares entered oversold territory on Monday with an RSI of 29.5, indicating that the recent heavy selling pressure may be exhausting, prompting investors to seek buying opportunities.
- Price Fluctuation: JNJ's stock price dipped to a low of $229.62, with the last trade at $230.69, showing significant volatility compared to its 52-week low of $146.115 and high of $251.71, reflecting varying market expectations for its future performance.
- Market Comparison: In contrast to the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) with an RSI of 69.1, JNJ's low RSI may attract investors looking for rebound opportunities, highlighting a divergence in market sentiment.
- Investor Strategy: Given the oversold signal, investors may reassess JNJ's value and consider accumulating shares during price corrections, aiming to profit from potential market rebounds in the future.
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- Acquisition Agreement Details: Eli Lilly has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kelonia Therapeutics for up to $7 billion, with $3.25 billion payable upfront and the remainder contingent on clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones, indicating Lilly's strategic intent to expand in oncology.
- Optimistic Clinical Outlook: Kelonia's lead program, KLN-1010, is a Phase 1 investigational therapy for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma that utilizes an in vivo gene delivery system to generate CAR-T cells directly in patients, potentially offering new hope by simplifying existing treatment complexities.
- Competitive Market Pressure: This acquisition positions Lilly in a market with established competitors, as Johnson & Johnson's CAR-T treatment Carvykti generated $1.89 billion in sales last year, while Gilead recently paid $7.8 billion for Arcellx and its rival drug, highlighting the intense competition in the sector.
- Strategic Significance: Lilly's executive Jacob Van Naarden noted that early clinical data is highly encouraging, representing not only a potential advancement for multiple myeloma patients but also validating Kelonia's platform concept, showcasing Lilly's ongoing investment and innovation capabilities in biopharmaceuticals.
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- Market Dynamics: The S&P 500 remained flat on Monday despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, while West Texas Intermediate crude surged 5% to over $88 per barrel, indicating market sensitivity to oil price fluctuations.
- Company Update: Bank of America analysts raised Corning's price target from $155 to $186, highlighting that its scale-out potential for increasing compute capacity is not reflected in current valuations, which is expected to drive demand for fiber-optic networking, although this may pressure margins in the near term.
- Apple Outlook: Morgan Stanley named Apple a 'tactical long', forecasting that memory-related gross margin pressures will be offset by positive June-quarter guidance, with upcoming catalysts including the WWDC and the foldable iPhone launch.
- Investment Strategy: Jim Cramer noted in the livestream that while recent cautious calls on Corning may lead to a potential stock decline, opportunistic investors in the market may seize the chance to buy, reflecting confidence in future earnings.
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- Acquisition Scale: Eli Lilly announced its acquisition of biotech firm Kelonia Therapeutics for up to $7 billion, with $3.25 billion paid upfront and remaining payments contingent on clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones, expected to close in the second half of 2026.
- Innovative Treatment Technology: Kelonia is developing in vivo CAR-T technology that reprograms patients' T-cells to attack cancer, offering a more convenient alternative to traditional ex vivo methods, potentially transforming treatment for blood cancers and solid tumors.
- Market Competitive Advantage: Lilly plans to leverage Kelonia's technology to expand into hematology, with Van Naarden emphasizing the appeal of a one-time infusion, which could attract more physicians and break the current limitations of treatments confined to academic medical centers.
- Strategic Transformation Direction: Alongside the Kelonia acquisition, Lilly is diversifying its business through multiple acquisitions, such as Centessa Pharmaceuticals and Orna Therapeutics, gradually shifting from being primarily known for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss to a comprehensive biopharmaceutical company covering more therapeutic areas.
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- Starbucks Reduction: Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will sell 150 shares of Starbucks at approximately $99.65, realizing about a 19% gain, reflecting confidence in the stock's rebound towards 2026, while reducing its portfolio weight from 3.07% to 2.68%.
- Strong Long-term Strategy: Despite Starbucks trading near its highs for 2026, Cramer remains confident in CEO Brian Niccol's long-term growth strategy, indicating the trust's optimistic outlook on the company's future performance.
- Johnson & Johnson Increase: The trust will purchase 75 shares of Johnson & Johnson at around $234.18, increasing its portfolio weight to 1.40%, demonstrating recognition of the company's strong product pipeline and minimal patent-cliff risk.
- Market Opportunity Capture: Although Johnson & Johnson's stock has slightly declined, Cramer views this as a good opportunity to scale deeper into the investment, especially following the company's strong first-quarter earnings report.
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