Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has offered to pay as much as $5.5bn (£4.14bn) to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits in the US alleging its baby powder and other talc‑based products caused ovarian cancer.
The proposed settlement aims to close a long‑running legal battle that has weighed on the New Jersey‑based healthcare giant for years. J&J denies 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, said the allegations are "meritless" and that J&J was willing to settle in order to finally resolve the matter.
J&J said the settlement would cover about 69,000 cases – covering most of the remaining talc‑related claims. The firm will offer up to $3bn next year, with no additional payments due before 2028.
Acceptance of the proposal must be granted by legal firms representing 95% of the ovarian cancer claims in state and federal courts before the settlement can be finalized.
Haas added that the proposed resolution would allow the company to "put this matter behind it" and enable J&J to remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives.
J&J’s former consumer health unit, Kenvue, holds liability for Johnson’s baby powder outside North America, owning well‑known brands such as Band‑Aid, Listerine and Calpol. Kenvue was spun off from J&J in 2022.
Litigation over Johnson’s talc products began as early as 2009. Earlier in July, a federal court questioned individual plaintiffs’ ability to show that talc was the direct cause of their ovarian cancer.
Talc, a natural mineral made of magnesium, silicon, oxygen and hydrogen, is often used in baby powder. The company faces lawsuits from consumers and survivors who claim J&J’s talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos, a known carcinogen found in close proximity to talc deposits.
J&J repeatedly denies the allegations and states that studies show talc is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer. In 2022, J&J announced it would stop making and selling its talc‑based baby powder worldwide after ending sales in the US two years earlier. The transition to an all cornstarch‑based portfolio was part of a worldwide portfolio assessment.
