Johnson & Johnson Pushes For $5.5bn Settlement To Close 15 Years Baby Powder Cancer Lawsuits

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has earmarked $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits in the United States alleging that its talcum powder-based products caused ovarian cancer, marking the company’s latest effort to end over a decade of costly litigation.

According to a report by CNN, the pharmaceutical giant announced on Monday that it would pay up to $3 billion to plaintiffs in 2027, with any outstanding compensation to be paid after 2028. The company said the proposed settlement covers approximately 76,000 claims and remains subject to approval by law firms representing at least 95 per cent of the claimants.

J&J described the agreement as an opportunity to bring closure to what it called “meritless 15-year litigation.”

For years, the New Jersey-based company has faced allegations that talc used in products such as its iconic baby powder contained asbestos, a known carcinogen linked to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. However, the company has consistently maintained that its talc-based products are safe and do not cause cancer.

While some scientific studies have suggested an increased risk of ovarian cancer among women who use talc in the genital area, other research has found no such link.

J&J discontinued the sale of its talc-based baby powder in North America in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based formula. In 2023, the company extended the change globally, saying the move was aimed at simplifying its product portfolio while continuing to defend the safety of the talc formulation.

J&J Vice President of Litigation, Erik Haas, reiterated the company’s position, insisting that the lawsuits were unsupported by scientific evidence.

“While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it,” Haas said.

On the other side of the legal battle, attorney Chris Seeger, who represents some of the plaintiffs, described the proposed settlement as “a fair measure of long-delayed justice.”

Speaking to CNN, Seeger added that the settlement amount is not capped and could increase, although he declined to comment on J&J’s assertion that the lawsuits lacked scientific merit.

The proposed settlement comes days after a federal judge questioned roughly 69,000 of the claims, ruling that plaintiffs must present specific evidence linking their ovarian cancer to J&J’s baby powder and other talc-based products.

The long-running litigation has produced mixed outcomes for the company. While some juries have ruled in J&J’s favour, others have awarded substantial damages to plaintiffs.

In October, a Los Angeles jury ordered the company to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, a rare cancer commonly associated with asbestos exposure. J&J said it would appeal the verdict, describing the award as “egregious and unconstitutional.”