April 16 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) reported

a first-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates on Tuesday,

helped by strong sales of its cancer drugs including top-selling

blood cancer treatment Darzalex.

Sales of its blockbuster psoriasis drug Stelara were flat at

$2.45 billion in the first quarter, while sales of Darzalex

jumped about 19% to $2.69 billion.

Darzalex, a blood cancer therapy launched in 2015, is

expected to bring in sales of more than $11 billion for J&J this

year, according to analysts.

J&J has struck deals to delay U.S. launches of close-copy

versions of Stelara until 2025, a key patent for which expired

last year. Analysts have said the delayed competition will make

the drug a larger contributor for J&J's 2024 and 2025 revenue

than previously anticipated.

Stelara biosimilars are expected to launch elsewhere later

this year. J&J reached an agreement with Alvotech ( ALVO ) in

February to launch its close-copy in Japan, Canada and Europe

this year. The Luxembourg-based drugmaker can enter the Canadian

market in the first quarter of this year and Japan in May.

On an adjusted basis, J&J earned $2.71 per share in the

first quarter, compared to analysts' estimates of $2.64,

according to LSEG data.

The company reported total revenue of $21.38 billion,

compared to estimates of $21.40 billion.