BIG PHARMA EARNINGS WATCH: JOHNSON & JOHNSON

Big Pharma Giant Johnson & Johnson Reports Earnings That Beating Wall Street Analysts’ ExpectationsWhile Continuing to Hike Drug Prices

This week, Johnson & Johnson reported earnings for the first quarter of the year, beating Wall Street analysts’ earnings expectations after hiking prescription drug prices 29 times this year so far. The purchase of Intra-Cellular’s schizophrenia drug, Caplyta, boosted the Big Pharma giant’s profits.

Johnson & Johnson has consistently beat Wall Street analysts’ revenue expectations for years, including in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Get the full recap of Johnson & Johnson’s strong earnings fueled by egregious pricing practices here:

Johnson & Johnson

• Johnson & Johnson reported earnings that beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations.

• The Big Pharma giant expects 2025 sales between $91.6 billion to $92.4 billion, up from their previous forecast of $90.9 billion to $91.7 billion, due to the purchase of Intra-Cellular’s schizophrenia drug, Caplyta. 

• The company reported sales of $21.89 billion, up by 2.4 percent year over year. 

• The company’s cancer sales increased by $5.68 billion.

• Multiple myeloma drug Darzalex brought in first quarter sales of $3.24 billion, beating analysts’ expectations.

• Johnson & Johnson is the first large drugmaker to report earnings with the looming tariffs on imports and has announced plans to boost U.S. manufacturing. 

These strong Q1 earnings from the Big Pharma giant follow its practice of continued price hikes on their blockbuster drugs, many above the rate of inflation.

Johnson & Johnson

• Johnson & Johnson has seen price hikes on 29 prescription drugs in 2025, including a 5.5 percent increase on multiple myeloma drug Darzalex and a 4.7 percent increase on psoriasis drug Stelara. 

• Johnson & Johnson engaged in 35 price hikes in 2024, including a 6.3 percent increase on Darzalex, and five percent increases on Erleada and Stelara.

• According to a December 2024 ICER report, price hikes that were unsupported by new clinical evidence on multiple myeloma drug Darzalex led to additional consumer spending of $190 million.

• Johnson & Johnson also engaged in 36 price hikes in 2023, including a 4.5 percent increase on Darzalex, a five percent increases on Erleada and a 4 percent increase on Stelara.

• Spending on the company’s blockbuster cancer drug Imbruvica is expected to exceed $41 billion between 2027-2036 thanks to an anti-competitive patent scheme that extended a monopoly on the high-priced cancer drug by more than nine years. Imbruvica costs an eye-popping $180,000 per year.

Stay tuned as we continue to monitor first quarter earnings calls from brand name drug companies in the coming weeks.

Learn more about solutions to lower prescription drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable HERE.