Johnson & Johnson offers up to $5.5bn to settle baby powder lawsuits

What the report says

Nile Post, citing the BBC, reported that Johnson & Johnson has proposed paying up to $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging that its talc-based baby powder and related products caused ovarian cancer. The offer is intended to resolve a long-running legal dispute that has followed the New Jersey-based healthcare company for years.

According to the report, J&J says the plan would address about 76,000 cases, described by the company as most of the remaining talc-related claims. The settlement is not yet final: it would need approval from legal firms representing 95% of ovarian cancer claims in state and federal courts. J&J said it would pay up to $3 billion next year, with no further payments due before 2028.

The company continues to reject the allegations. Erik Haas, J&J’s vice president of litigation, said the claims lack merit and that the company believes it would have prevailed if litigation continued, but is seeking a resolution so it can move on. J&J has also maintained that studies show its talc is safe, asbestos-free and not cancer-causing.

The cases date back to at least 2009 and center on claims that talc products were contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and later said it would end sales worldwide, moving to a cornstarch-based product line. The report also notes that Kenvue, J&J’s former consumer health business spun off in 2022, carries liability for Johnson’s baby powder outside North America.