Johnson & Johnson Offers Up to $5.5 Billion to Settle Baby Powder Lawsuits

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has offered to pay as much as $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits that allege its baby powder and other talc-containing products caused ovarian cancer. The proposed settlement aims to close a long-running legal battle that has weighed on the healthcare giant for years.

Erik Haas, J&J's vice president of litigation, stated on Monday that the allegations are "meritless." He added that the company is confident it would have "ultimately prevailed with further litigation" and that the proposed resolution "allows 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."

Lawsuits against J&J over its talc-based baby powder began as early as 2009. The company has faced legal action from consumers and their survivors who claim J&J's talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos. Talc is a natural mineral known for its soapy feel, often used in baby powder. It is mined from the earth and can be found in seams close to asbestos, a material known to cause cancer.

J&J has repeatedly denied these allegations. In its latest announcement, the company stated, "Studies show talc is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer." Earlier in July, a federal court had questioned individual plaintiffs' ability to demonstrate that talc was the direct cause of their ovarian cancer, handing the firm a victory in that instance.

In 2022, J&J announced it would cease production and sales of its talc-based baby powder globally. This decision followed a similar move more than two years prior to end sales of the product in the United States. At the time, J&J explained, "As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio."