Johnson & Johnson seeks FDA approval of IMAAVY® (nipocalimab-aahu) as the first-ever FDA-approved treatment for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA)
2026-02-24 · Janssen Research & Development, LLC · original jnj.com ↗
NEWS RELEASE Johnson & Johnson seeks FDA approval of IMAAVY® (nipocalimab-aahu) as the rst-ever FDA-approved treatment for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) 2026-02-24 Data from the pivotal ENERGY trial showed IMAAVY produced a rapid and durable hemoglobin response in wAIHA Currently no FDA-approved therapies are available for wAIHA, a rare, heterogeneous, life-threatening disease in which pathogenic immunoglobulin (IgG) autoantibodies attach to and destroy red blood cells, leading to debilitating anemia SPRING HOUSE, Pa., Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced the submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking approval of IMAAVY (nipocalimab-aahu) as the rst-ever treatment for patients with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA). This rare and serious autoantibody disease a ects approximately 1 in 8,000 in the United States and currently has no approved treatments despite substantial unmet need. The condition is associated with signi cant morbidity and mortality, with those living with the disease found to experience a 20-30% higher risk of death. "People living with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia face a serious, life-threatening disease with no approved treatment options and a high risk of complications, including profound chronic fatigue, transfusion dependence, and organ failure," said David M Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Global Immunology Therapeutic Area Head, Johnson & Johnson. "The submission of this sBLA represents an important milestone for the wAIHA community and underscores our commitment to advancing targeted, immunoselective therapies that can deliver meaningful, rapid improvement for ® a ® b 1 2 1 these patients." wAIHA occurs when harmful immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies attach to and destroy red blood cells – leading to anemia. IMAAVY is designed to selectively block the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), a key regulator of IgG recycling. By reducing circulating IgG, including autoantibodies, IMAAVY targets the underlying cause of disease while preserving critical immune functions, including some humoral B-cell responses to new infections. The sBLA submission is supported by the Phase 2/3 ENERGY multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled study (NCT04119050) evaluating IMAAVY in adults living with wAIHA. The data showed that more patients treated with nipocalimab achieved the stringent primary endpoint of a durable hemoglobin response compared with placebo. A durable response was de ned as achieving a hemoglobin level above 10 g/dL and an increase of at least 2 g/dL for at least 28 days, without the need for rescue therapy. In addition to a rapid and durable improvement in hemoglobin, more patients treated with IMAAVY experienced rapid and sustained improvement in fatigue as assessed by FACIT-Fatigue, an outcome of signi cant importance to people living with wAIHA. "The ENERGY study demonstrated clinically meaningful results in adults living with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia," said Bruno Fattizzo, M.D., Assistant Professor at the Department of Oncology and Hematology-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano. "These results provide a strong rationale for the potential of IMAAVY to rapidly improve fatigue and provide durable hemoglobin response while maintaining favorable tolerability." IMAAVY was generally well tolerated in ENERGY, with no new safety signals identi ed and a safety pro le consistent with the IMAAVY label. IMAAVY was approved in the United States in April 2025 for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who are acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or muscle-speci c kinase (MuSK) antibody positive. The full results of the ENERGY trial are forthcoming. Editor's notes: a. Durable hemoglobin response = hemoglobin concentration ≥10 g/dL and an increase from baseline in Hgb ≥2 g/dL for at least 28 days b. IMAAVY is not approved in wAIHA c. Dr. Fattizzo has served as a consultant to J&J; he has not been paid for any media work ABOUT THE ENERGY TRIAL ENERGY (NCT04119050) is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 study evaluating 3 ® 4 ® ® 5 ® 5 c ® ® 5,6 ® 6 ® 2 the e cacy and safety of nipocalimab compared with placebo, followed by an open-label extension period, in adults living with wAIHA. ABOUT WARM AUTOIMMUNE HEMOLYTIC ANEMIA (wAIHA) Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) is a rare, life-threatening condition where autoantibodies attach to and destroy red blood cells (RBCs), resulting in anemia. Approximately 1-3 new people per 100,000 are a ected by wAIHA per year, and about 1 in 8,000 individuals are living with the condition.This condition a ects both women and men, and can a ect people at any age with incidence increasing over the age of 50.Additionally, people with wAIHA are at increased risk of other serious complications such as venous thrombotic events, acute renal failure, and infection. There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs indicated for wAIHA, and treatment typically consists of unapproved corticosteroids, broad immunosuppressants, and B-cell directed therapies. With an unmet need for treatment in wAIHA, novel therapies like nipocalimab that can deliver meaningful improvement to patients is critical. ABOUT IMAAVY (nipocalimab-aahu) IMAAVY is an immunoselective treatment designed to target, bind with high a nity, and block FcRn, reducing circulating IgG antibodies that drive disease while also preserving key immune functions. IMAAVY is currently approved for the treatment of gMG in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who are AChR or MuSK antibody positive. Nipocalimab is being investigated across three key segments in the autoantibody space including Rheumatologic diseases, Rare Autoantibody diseases, and Maternal Fetal diseases mediated by maternal alloantibodies, in which blockade of IgG binding to FcRn in the placenta is believed to limit transplacental transfer of maternal alloantibodies to the fetus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have granted several key designations to nipocalimab including: U.S. FDA Fast Track designation in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) and warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) in July 2019, gMG in December 2021, fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia) FNAIT in March 2024 and Sjögren's disease (SjD) in March 2025 U.S. FDA Orphan drug status for wAIHA in December 2019, HDFN in June 2020, gMG in February 2021, chronic in ammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in October 2021 and FNAIT in December 2023 U.S. FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for HDFN in February 2024 and for SjD in November 2024 U.S. FDA granted Priority Review in gMG in Q4 2024 5 1,7 8,9 10 7 9 ® ® ® 6 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 3 EU EMA Orphan medicinal product designation for HDFN in October 2019 and FNAIT in April 2025 The legal manufacturer for IMAAVY is Janssen Biotech, Inc. WHAT IS IMAAVY (nipocalimab-aahu)? IMAAVY is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older with a disease called generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or anti-muscle-speci c tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibody positive. It is not known if IMAAVY is safe and e ective in children under 12 years of age. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about IMAAVY? IMAAVY is a prescription medicine that may cause serious side e ects, including: Infections are a common side e ect of IMAAVY that can be serious. Receiving IMAAVY may increase your risk of infection. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following infection symptoms: o fever o chills o shivering o cough o sore throat o fever blisters o burning when you urinate Allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions may happen during or up to a few weeks after your IMAAVY infusion. Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of these symptoms during or after your IMAAVY infusion: o a swollen face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat o difficulty swallowing or breathing o itchy rash (hives) o chest pain or tightness Infusion-related reactions are possible. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of these symptoms during or a few days after your IMAAVY infusion: ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® 4 o headache o rash o nausea o fatigue o dizziness o chills o flu-like symptoms o redness of skin Do not receive IMAAVY if you have a severe allergic reaction to nipocalimab-aahu or any of the ingredients in IMAAVY. Reactions have included angioedema and anaphylaxis. Before using IMAAVY, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: ever had an allergic reaction to IMAAVY. have or had any recent infections or symptoms of infection. have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). People who take IMAAVY should not receive live vaccines. are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known whether IMAAVY will harm your baby. Pregnancy Safety Study. There is a pregnancy safety study for IMAAVY if IMAAVY is given during pregnancy or you become pregnant while receiving IMAAVY. Your healthcare provider should report IMAAVY exposure by contacting Janssen at 1-800-526-7736 or www.IMAAVY.com. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. What are the possible side e ects of IMAAVY? IMAAVY may cause serious side e ects. See "What is the most important information I should know about IMAAVY?" The most common side e ects of IMAAVY include: respiratory tract infection, peripheral edema (swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet), and muscle spasms. These are not all the possible side e ects of IMAAVY. Call your doctor for medical advice about side e ects. You are encouraged to report negative side e ects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® ® 5 Please see the full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for IMAAVY and discuss any questions you have with your doctor. Dosage Form and Strengths: IMAAVY is supplied as a 300 mg/1.62 mL and a 1,200 mg/6.5 mL (185 mg/mL) single-dose vial per carton for intravenous injection. ABOUT JOHNSON & JOHNSON At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/ or at www.innovativemedicine.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJInnovMed. Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Janssen Global Services, LLC are Johnson & Johnson companies. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as de ned in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development and the potential bene ts and treatment impact of nipocalimab. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing di culties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product e cacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson & Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other lings with the ® ® 6 Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these lings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. Tranekær S, Hansen DL, Frederiksen H. Epidemiology of secondary warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia-A systematic review and meta- analysis. J Clin Med. 2021 Mar 17;10(6):1244. doi:10.3390/jcm10061244. PMID: 33802848; PMCID: PMC8002719. Jackson L, Zhdanava M, Pesa J, Boonmak P, Chen G, Liu D, et al. Mortality associated with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia among Medicare beneficiaries. Blood. 2025;2694, 146 (Suppl 1):2694. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2025-2694 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Warm autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. Available at: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/warm- autoimmune-hemolytic-anemia/. Last accessed: February 2026. Cossu M et al. A randomized, open-label study on the effect of nipocalimab vaccine response in healthy participants. Presentation at American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) Annual Meeting. October 2024. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04119050. Available at: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04119050 IMAAVY U.S. Prescribing Information. Sudulagunta SR, et al. Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: Clinical Profile and Management. J Hematol. 2017 Mar; 6(1): 12–20. Published online 2017 Mar 21. doi: 10.14740/jh303w. National Organization for Rare Disorders, Warm autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. 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