Johnson & Johnson said Monday that it has reached a proposed $5.5 billion settlement to resolve lawsuits alleging its talcum-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer. File Photo by Dan Peled/EPA
July 28 (UPI) -- U.S. healtcare giant Johnson & Johnson said it has reached a proposed $5.5 billion settlement to resolve most remaining lawsuits alleging its talc-based baby powder and other products caused ovarian cancer.
The agreement, announced Monday, follows more than a decade of litigation, including nearly a decade of consolidated federal litigation in New Jersey, along with related cases throughout the country. Tens of thousands of claimants accused Johnson & Johnson of marketing its talc products for feminine hygiene and failing to adequately warn consumers about an alleged cancer risk, despite studies dating back to the 1980s reporting an association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer.
Johnson & Johnson has denied the allegations, describing the litigation as meritless, but said it reached the agreement "to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives," Erik Haas, Johnson & Johnson's worldwide vice president of litigation, said in a statement.
