Johnson & Johnson will present 11 new scientific abstracts across depression, schizophrenia, and neuroscience discovery at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), held January 12–15 in Nassau, Bahamas.
The focus is clear: remission, tolerability, and precision neuroscience.
Why This Matters?
Depression and related disorders remain among the largest unmet needs in medicine.
- Only 1 in 3 patients achieve remission with first-line antidepressants
- Treatment resistance rises with each failed therapy
- Sleep disturbances and anhedonia worsen outcomes
J&J is targeting these gaps with adjunctive therapies, novel mechanisms, and data-driven approaches.
Key Highlights From the ACNP Presentations
CAPLYTA®: New Phase 3 Remission Analyses in MDD
New Phase 3 analyses evaluate CAPLYTA® (lumateperone) as an adjunct to antidepressants in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Key focus areas include:
- Rates of symptom remission
- Short- and long-term treatment outcomes
- Safety and tolerability across patient subgroups
CAPLYTA is already approved for:
- MDD (adjunctive)
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar depression
SPRAVATO®: Impact on Anhedonia in Treatment-Resistant Depression
Post-hoc analyses from two Phase 3 studies—TRANSFORM-2 and SUSTAIN-2—explore how SPRAVATO® (esketamine) affects anhedonia, one of the most disabling symptoms of depression.
Why this is important:
- Anhedonia often persists despite standard antidepressants
- It is strongly linked to relapse and poor functioning
SPRAVATO is approved in 79 markets and has been used by 150,000+ patients worldwide.
Seltorexant vs Quetiapine XR: New Metabolic Tolerability Data
J&J will present new Phase 3 metabolic analyses comparing:
- Adjunctive seltorexant (investigational)
- Adjunctive quetiapine XR
The study focuses on patients with MDD and insomnia symptoms. Seltorexant targets the orexin-2 receptor, aiming to:
- Improve sleep
- Support mood recovery
- Avoid next-day sedation and metabolic burden
Beyond Depression: Broader Neuroscience Pipeline
J&J will also present preclinical and translational research covering:
- Schizophrenia biology and biomarkers
- AI-enabled neuroscience platforms
- Novel glutamatergic and synaptic mechanisms
- Human iPSC-derived CNS models
These efforts support precision medicine in CNS drug development.
Selected Poster Sessions at a Glance
Major Depressive Disorder
- Remission outcomes with adjunctive lumateperone
- Metabolic profiles: seltorexant vs quetiapine XR
Treatment-Resistant Depression
- Short- and long-term effects of esketamine on anhedonia
Schizophrenia
- Biomarker profiling
- Antipsychotic exposure in remitted patients
Neuroscience Discovery
- AI-driven target selection platforms
- Novel synaptic plasticity mechanisms
Johnson & Johnson’s Strategic Message
According to Bill Martin, PhD, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Neuroscience:
The goal is remission, not partial response. From clinical outcomes to AI-enabled discovery, J&J is redefining standards of care.
Bottom Line
Johnson & Johnson is not betting on a single molecule. It is building:
- Adjunctive strategies for hard-to-treat depression
- Biology-driven differentiation
- Tolerability-first positioning
- AI-enabled neuroscience discovery
At ACNP 2026, the message is consistent: better remission, fewer trade-offs, smarter neuroscience.
