J&J moves to settle 69,000 talc cancer cases for $5.5 billion
What’s next: The deal still needs court approval and covers existing claims only, leaving any future lawsuits outside the settlement.
Johnson & Johnson moved to resolve most of its long-running US talc litigation with a $5.5 billion settlement covering about 69,000 ovarian cancer cases in federal court in New Jersey and related state cases. The company said the agreement would account for 99.75% of its remaining talc claims. Plaintiffs’ law firms backed the deal, but the judge overseeing the federal litigation must still approve it. J&J has denied that its baby powder and other talc products caused cancer and says the talc did not contain asbestos. The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020 and later shifted globally to cornstarch products.