Johnson & Johnson will pay $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc products cause cancer. The company maintains the allegations are meritless.
This settlement aims to resolve a significant portion of the thousands of lawsuits that have weighed on Johnson & Johnson for years, potentially providing closure to claimants alleging harm from the company's talc products.
Johnson & Johnson has offered to pay as much as $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other products containing talcum cause ovarian cancer. The proposed settlement aims to close a long-running legal battle that has weighed on the healthcare giant for years. Johnson & Johnson has denied that its talc-based products caused cancer and has changed the formula of its widely-used baby powder. Erik Haas, the firm's vice president of litigation, stated that the allegations are "meritless" and that J&J was willing to settle to resolve the matter, adding that the company is confident it would have "ultimately prevailed with further litigation." The company has faced lawsuits from consumers and their survivors who claim J&J's talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos. Johnson & Johnson has repeatedly denied these allegations, stating that studies show talc is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer. The company had previously announced plans to stop selling its talc-based products globally in 2020 and 2022.