Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has offered to pay as much as $5.5bn (£4.14bn) to settle tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits that allege its talc‑based baby powder caused ovarian cancer.
J&J’s proposal would close a decades‑old legal battle that has weighed on the New Jersey‑based healthcare giant. The company denies that its talc products caused cancer and has already replaced its baby powder with a cornstarch formulation worldwide.
“The allegations are meritless,” said Erik Haas, J&J’s vice president of litigation, in a statement released Monday. He added that the firm is ready to settle “to finally resolve the matter.”
The settlement would cover about 69,000 cases – wiping out most remaining talc‑related claims. J&J will offer up to $3bn next year, with no payments due before 2028. Acceptance by legal firms representing 95 % of the claims in state and federal courts is required for finalisation.
Haas said the company is confident it would have prevailed with further litigation, noting that J&J has won the majority of cases heard to date. He added that the resolution would let the company focus on its mission to develop life‑saving medicines and devices.
J&J’s former consumer health business, Kenvue, holds liability for Johnson’s baby powder outside North America. Kenvue, which owns brands such as Band‑Aid and Listerine, was spun off from J&J in 2022.
Consumer lawsuits began in 2009, and a recent federal court victory questioned plaintiffs’ ability to prove that talc directly caused their ovarian cancer. Talc, a natural mineral mined near asbestos seams, has been claimed by some to contain asbestos contamination.
J&J has repeatedly denied the allegations. In a 2022 announcement it said it would stop making and selling talc‑based baby powder worldwide while transitioning to an all cornstarch‑based portfolio.
Read the full J&J settlement announcement on JNJ.com.
For ongoing coverage of the litigation, see BBC News.
