J&J Halts New Arthritis Drug Combination Following Lackluster Trial

‘We remain confident in the ... product having a $5B-plus potential,’ the company said.

The Johnson & Johnson logo at its company office in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Global health care leader Johnson & Johnson announced in an Aug. 28 statement that it would not proceed with the development of a new combination drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis, citing lackluster results following a 12-week study on patients.

The firm’s Phase 2a DAISY proof-of-concept study was in the process of evaluating the combination of nipocalimab, used in treating nerve and muscle diseases, and an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (antiTNF-a) therapy. This therapy uses drugs to block the TNF-a, which is a major cause of inflammation in both autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers at Johnson & Johnson had been hopeful that the combination of medical therapies would present a better outcome for this often difficult-to-treat disease. However, after 12 weeks, the study results didn’t provide sufficient evidence that the combination was successful.

Based on those findings, the firm decided against proceeding with the clinical tests.

“We are excited to continue the ongoing indications across rheumatic, rare autoantibody and maternal fetal diseases,” Johnson & Johnson stated. “We remain confident in the nipocalimab product having a $5B-plus potential.”

According to Yale Medicine, 1.5 million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a disease where the body’s immune system starts to attack the lining of joints. Symptoms can include stiffness, pain, and tenderness in the joints, especially in the morning. Treatments with medicine are most effective when diagnosed early.

“People tend to have joint pain symmetrically, in multiple joints—in both hands, both wrists and both knees, for example,” Dr. Cristina Maria Brunet, a Yale Medicine rheumatologist, said on the Yale Medicine website.

Brunet added that along with stiffness and pain, some people also experience warmth, swelling, or redness in the joints. Those diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis can also experience symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, and fever.

Causes of the disease can include genetics, sex (70 percent of those afflicted are women), age (people between 40 and 60), smoking, and obesity.

Lack of proper treatment of this autoimmune disease may also cause damage to cartilage and bones, as well as harm the body’s internal organs, including the heart, lungs, and nervous system.

In March 2025, Johnson & Johnson was given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration for investigational nipocalimab to treat adult patients with moderate to severe Sjorgen’s disease, an autoimmune disease that attacks the glands producing tears and saliva, leading to dry eyes and mouth. It can also cause fatigue, joint pain, and dry skin.

A 139-year-old company, Johnson & Johnson operates 64 manufacturing facilities globally and employs more than 138,000 people.