J&J MedTech momentum

Johnson & Johnson opened 2026 with faster sales growth, and its MedTech unit added a fresh Europe approval for a new Ethicon surgical stapler. (jnj.com 1) (jnj.com 2) The company said on April 14 that first-quarter sales rose 9.9% to $24.1 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.70, and it raised its full-year 2026 sales and profit outlook. (jnj.com) Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech business posted operational sales growth of 7.3% in the quarter, led by electrophysiology, Abiomed heart devices and vision, according to the company’s earnings materials. (jnj.com) (investor.jnj.com) A surgical stapler works like a precision fastener for tissue: surgeons use it to cut and seal tissue during operations, and the staple line has to hold to reduce leaks and bleeding. Johnson & Johnson said on April 22 that the ETHICON 4000 Stapler won a European CE Mark for open and laparoscopic procedures across a range of tissue thicknesses. (jnj.com) (medicaleconomics.com) The device uses what the company calls 3D stapling technology, a redesigned end-effector and new reload options for bariatric, colorectal and thoracic surgery. Johnson & Johnson also said the platform is intended for future use on its Ottava robotic surgical system. (jnj.com) That combination gives Johnson & Johnson two current talking points in hospital meetings: quarter-one MedTech growth in its financial results, and a newly cleared product in a core surgical category in Europe. The company has been building out MedTech with launches in heart rhythm care, eye surgery and robotics while investors watch whether devices can add steadier growth alongside its drug business. (jnj.com) (jnjmedtech.com) The stapler itself is not brand new. Johnson & Johnson launched the ETHICON 4000 in the United States in June 2025 and said then that it was designed to lower risk factors tied to surgical leaks and bleeding complications. (jnj.com) For Johnson & Johnson, the latest update is less about a single gadget than about pace: stronger first-quarter sales, higher 2026 guidance and another MedTech clearance inside eight days in April. (jnj.com 1) (jnj.com 2)