History of Johnson & Johnson Timeline

Johnson & Johnson listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol JNJ, opening ownership to public investors and providing capital for postwar expansion.

Image source: New York Stock Exchange

Following World War II, Johnson & Johnson rapidly expanded overseas, establishing operations in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, transforming itself into a truly global healthcare enterprise.

Image source: Multinational corporation

Johnson & Johnson acquired McNeil Laboratories, bringing the Tylenol brand into its portfolio and strengthening its position in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market.

The acquisition of Ortho Pharmaceutical expanded Johnson & Johnson's presence in prescription pharmaceuticals, particularly in women's health and dermatology products.

Johnson & Johnson acquired Belgian firm Janssen Pharmaceutica, founded by Dr. Paul Janssen, one of the most prolific drug discoverers in history. The deal laid the foundation for J&J's global pharmaceutical powerhouse.

Johnson & Johnson acquired LifeScan, maker of blood glucose monitoring systems, marking a major entry into diabetes care and medical device diagnostics.

Johnson & Johnson purchased skincare company Neutrogena for $924 million, significantly bolstering its beauty and dermatological consumer brands portfolio.

Image source: Neutrogena

Johnson & Johnson acquired Centocor for $4.9 billion, gaining Remicade (infliximab), a blockbuster biologic drug for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.

Johnson & Johnson acquired Pfizer's consumer healthcare division for $16.6 billion, adding brands such as Listerine, Band-Aid competitor products, Nicorette, and Sudafed to its consumer portfolio.

Image source: Pfizer

Johnson & Johnson completed its largest acquisition to date, buying Swiss trauma device maker Synthes for $21.3 billion, dramatically expanding its DePuy orthopedics business.

Johnson & Johnson acquired Swiss biotech Actelion for $30 billion, gaining a portfolio of treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension and strengthening its rare disease pipeline.

Image source: Actelion

Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer health division, including Tylenol, Band-Aid, Neutrogena, and Listerine, into a new publicly traded company called Kenvue, refocusing J&J entirely on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Image source: Kenvue

Seven people died in Chicago after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide by an unknown perpetrator. Johnson & Johnson recalled 31 million bottles nationwide, costing over $100 million but widely praised as a model of crisis management and corporate responsibility.

Image source: Chicago Tylenol murders

In response to the Tylenol poisonings, Johnson & Johnson pioneered tamper-evident packaging, and new federal regulations soon required it across the industry, permanently changing how consumer medicines are packaged.

Image source: Packaging

Quality control problems led to recalls of Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and other products, including a massive 2010 recall of children's liquid medicines. The scandals damaged consumer trust and prompted congressional investigations and FDA enforcement actions.

Johnson & Johnson recalled the DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip implant after high failure rates caused pain and metal toxicity in patients. The recall led to thousands of lawsuits and billions of dollars in settlements.

Image source: DePuy Synthes

Lawsuits alleging that Johnson's Baby Powder containing talc was linked to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma resulted in multi-billion dollar verdicts and tens of thousands of claims, becoming one of the largest product liability litigations in U.S. history.

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle claims that it deceptively marketed opioid painkillers, part of broader national settlements addressing the U.S. opioid epidemic.

Image source: Opioid epidemic in the United States

The FDA approved Risperdal (risperidone), an antipsychotic developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica. It became one of the world's best-selling antipsychotic drugs, though later faced litigation over undisclosed side effects.

Image source: Risperidone

FDA approval of Remicade ushered in the era of anti-TNF biologics. The drug generated billions in annual revenue and established J&J as a leader in immunology therapeutics.

Image source: Infliximab

FDA approval of Darzalex (daratumumab), a monoclonal antibody acquired through the Genmab partnership, revolutionized multiple myeloma therapy and became one of J&J's top-selling drugs with billions in annual sales.

Image source: Daratumumab

The FDA granted emergency use authorization to Johnson & Johnson's single-dose adenovirus vector COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Janssen. It played a significant role in global vaccination efforts, though later use was limited by rare blood clot concerns.

Image source: Janssen COVID-19 vaccine