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Johnson & Johnson offers up to $5.5 billion to settle talc cancer suits
The proposed deal would cover about 69,000 cases, with up to $3.0 billion paid next year and no further payments due before 2028.
Johnson & Johnson has offered to pay as much as $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of US lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other products containing talc cause ovarian cancer, BBC Business reported. The proposal is designed to end a long-running legal battle that has weighed on the New Jersey-based healthcare company.
J&J denied that talc-based products caused cancer and said it has changed the formula of its widely used baby powder. The company’s litigation vice president, Erik Haas, said the allegations are meritless and that J&J was willing to settle to finally close the matter.
Under the terms described by BBC Business, the settlement would cover about 69,000 cases, representing most of the remaining talc-related claims. J&J said it would offer up to $3.0 billion next year, with no additional payments due before 2028.
The company said the proposal must be accepted by legal firms representing 95% of the ovarian cancer claims in state and federal courts before it can be finalized. BBC Business also noted that Kenvue, spun off from J&J in 2022, holds liability for the baby powder outside North America.