Johnson & Johnson Offers $5.5 Billion to Consumers Who Sued the Company

Johnson & Johnson said Monday it has offered up to $5.5bn to settle about 69,000 lawsuits alleging its talc-based baby powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer, ccording to BBC News.

The proposal must be accepted by legal firms representing 95% of ovarian cancer claims in state and federal courts before it can be finalised, J&J said. Erik Haas, J&J’s vice president of litigation, said the allegations are “meritless” but that the settlement “allows the company to put this matter behind it”.

J&J has repeatedly denied that its talc-based products caused cancer. Haas said the company was confident it would have “ultimately prevailed with further litigation”, and J&J said: “Studies show talc is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.”

Lawsuits over J&J’s talc-based baby powder began as early as 2009. The company has faced claims from consumers and survivors alleging cancer from asbestos contamination; talc is mined from the earth and found in seams close to asbestos, a material known to cause cancer.

In 2022, J&J said it would stop making and selling talc-based baby powder worldwide, more than two years after ending US sales. “As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio,” the company said at the time.