Payouts to end decade of litigation expected to reach at least $5.5 billion
Johnson & Johnson stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product, which was adopted worldwide in 2023. (Photo: Reuters)
NEW YORK - Johnson & Johnson has announced that it will pay an estimated $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its baby powder and other talc products cause ovarian cancer, in a landmark deal that could end a contentious legal battle that has dogged the company for a decade.The settlement covers about 76,000 claims, including ones consolidated in US federal court in New Jersey, and related cases in state court, representing nearly all of the remaining talc claims against the company, it said on Monday.
J&J previously settled most of the cases alleging that its talc contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma.
Plaintiffs’ law firms confirmed the deal on Monday, saying it was a good resolution after a decade-long court battle. The deal must be accepted by 95% of the ovarian cancer claimants in state or federal court before it becomes final.
