Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech business posted operational sales growth of 3.6% in the second quarter, reaching $8.93 billion, as ongoing challenges at Abiomed weighed on revenue.
The results mark a continued slowdown in the unit’s sales growth. Full-year sales for 2025, announced at the start of this year, reached $33.8 billion, representing operational growth of 5.4%. The unit then recorded operational growth of 4.6% in the first quarter, followed by the 3.6% increase announced July 15.
Abiomed, which J&J acquired in 2022 and folded into its cardiovascular unit, was one of the biggest drags on the MedTech unit's sales in the second quarter.
J&J said in its financial report that the decrease in Abiomed sales was “driven by lower U.S. procedure volume.” Abiomed sales fell 2% year over year during the quarter, compared with 14% growth in the first quarter.
The results come after several difficult months for Abiomed and its manufacturing partner, Oscor, whose catheter introducer kits, used with the company’s Impella heart pumps, have faced manufacturing concerns in the U.S.
As of April 22, Abiomed had reported eight instances of major bleeding and “three complaints that have corresponding patient deaths.” However, the company determined that the deaths “are not attributable to introducer leakage,” according to the FDA.
The FDA issued an early alert in June over potential leakage from introducer sheaths used to introduce catheters into the body. The agency said manufacturing issues could cause leakage and increase the risk of access-site bleeding.
The sales decline also comes several months after two separate randomized trials of Johnson & Johnson’s miniaturized Impella heart pumps failed to show a benefit in certain patients with coronary artery blockages, including interventions performed before and after a severe heart attack.
Continued growth outside the U.S., including sustained adoption of Impella, partially offset the decline in Abiomed sales, J&J said.
Growth across other areas helped offset some of the decline. The gains were primarily driven by wound closure and biosurgery products in Surgery; electrophysiology products and Shockwave in Cardiovascular; contact lenses in Vision; and trauma products in Orthopaedics.