No sale has been completed, so the option remains open. J&J announced the separation plan in October 2025, saying it would spin off orthopedics as a standalone company within 18 to 24 months. That would be its second major spinoff in two years, after the consumer unit that became Kenvue. In February 2026, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that J&J was preparing a potential sale. DePuy also faces more than 11,000 lawsuits over its recall of faulty hip replacement systems, which analysts expect to cost J&J billions.
The timing adds pressure. Medtech sales rose just 2.5% to $8.6 billion, missing analyst estimates, and J&J shares fell 6.3% on weaker-than-expected medtech revenue. Attorneys tracking the matter should watch whether J&J holds to the mid-2027 timeline, whether the Apollo talks produce a definitive agreement, and how the recall litigation factors into the separation structure.