JNJ Halts Development of Depression Drug Over Efficacy Concerns

Core Viewpoint - Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has decided to discontinue the Phase 3 VENTURA development program for aticaprant as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) due to insufficient efficacy in the target patient population, despite the drug being safe and well-tolerated [1][2][3]. Group 1: Development Program and Financial Implications - The decision to halt the VENTURA program is a setback for J&J, which had anticipated annual peak sales of $1-$5 billion from aticaprant in the MDD indication [3]. - J&J is currently conducting full analyses of the VENTURA program data and plans to present findings at a future medical meeting [2]. Group 2: Future Plans and Acquisitions - Despite the setback, J&J maintains its long-term vision to become the 1 neuroscience company by 2030 and expects its Innovative Medicine business to grow at a CAGR of 5% to 7% from 2025 to 2030 [4]. - The company aims to offset the loss from aticaprant with the acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapies (ITCI) for approximately $14.6 billion, which is expected to be completed later this year [5]. - Upon completion of the acquisition, J&J will gain access to ITCI's marketed drug, Caplyta, which is approved for schizophrenia and bipolar depression, with a regulatory filing submitted for label expansion to include MDD [6]. Group 3: Market Performance - Year to date, J&J's shares have increased nearly 15%, outperforming the industry growth of 12% [7]. Group 4: Industry Context - The setback with aticaprant is not isolated, as Neumora Therapeutics also faced a failure with its lead drug, navacaprant, in a similar MDD study [9]. - Neumora's KOASTAL-1 study did not achieve its primary endpoint, failing to show significant improvement over placebo in alleviating depression symptoms [10].