J&J reaches $5.5bn deal to settle talc baby powder cancer claims

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has agreed to a proposed $5.5 billion settlement aimed at resolving approximately 76,000 lawsuits alleging that its talc-based baby powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer, marking one of the largest product liability settlements in the company’s history.

The proposed agreement, announced on Monday, is designed to bring an end to more than a decade of costly legal battles.

Under the terms of the deal, the settlement will only take effect if at least 95% of eligible claimants agree to participate, a threshold the company says is necessary to achieve a comprehensive resolution.

Johnson & Johnson continues to deny that its talc products caused cancer or contained asbestos, insisting that scientific evidence supports the safety of its products.

The company said the settlement should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing but as a practical step to conclude lengthy litigation and redirect resources toward its core business of developing medicines and medical devices.

“Our confidence in the science and our legal position remains unchanged,” the company said, adding that resolving the litigation would allow it to focus on its healthcare mission.

According to the agreement, Johnson & Johnson expects to make an initial payment of up to $3 billion in 2027, with additional payments scheduled from 2028 onward.

The settlement applies only to existing ovarian cancer claims in the United States and does not cover future lawsuits or similar claims filed outside the country.

The deal follows years of courtroom battles and several unsuccessful attempts by the company to resolve the claims through bankruptcy proceedings, which were rejected by U.S. courts.

The latest agreement comes after recent court rulings that questioned whether plaintiffs’ expert witnesses could conclusively establish that talc products caused individual cases of ovarian cancer.

If approved by the required number of claimants, the settlement is expected to bring closure to nearly all remaining talc-related ovarian cancer litigation against the healthcare giant in the United States.