Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits in the United States alleging its discontinued talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer, the company announced on Monday. The deal is reported to cover about 69,000 cases in federal and state courts — roughly 99.75% of outstanding talc-related claims in the country — but will become final only if 95% of claimants accept it in state or federal proceedings.
Under the proposed settlement, J&J would resolve the vast majority of U.S. litigation tied to its talc products, ending years of staggered trials and large jury awards that have marked the company’s legal exposure. Company officials said the agreement allows J&J to move on from the litigation.
Talc, a soft mineral once widely used in cosmetics and baby products, has seen declining use amid health concerns. In 2024 the World Health Organization classified talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” J&J maintains there is no conclusive evidence that talc causes cancer. The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and discontinued global sales of the product in 2023.
The legal fight dates back years: in 2016 a U.S. jury ordered J&J to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer, a ruling later overturned in 2017. Despite that reversal, claims multiplied and juries across the U.S. subsequently awarded damages to plaintiffs in other cases.
Erik Haas, J&J’s head of litigation, said the settlement would let the company “put this matter behind it.” Lawyers for the plaintiffs described the agreement as a positive resolution to a decade-long court battle.
The deal does not affect litigation in the United Kingdom, where the largest product liability case in UK history — involving more than 7,000 potential claimants — is being heard. Filed in October 2025, the UK case alleges J&J knew its talc could cause cancers, chiefly ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, a claim the company denies; the matter has proceeded before the UK High Court.
Original Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/28/jj-reaches-5-5bn-settlement-over-lawsuits-tying-talc-to-ovarian-cancer
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Publish Date: 2026-07-28 09:49:00
