NEW YORK: Johnson & Johnson stated on Monday (Jul 27) it could pay US$5.5 billion to resolve tens of 1000’s of lawsuits alleging its child powder and different talc merchandise trigger ovarian most cancers, in a landmark settlement aimed toward closing a chapter of contentious litigation that has dogged the corporate for years.
J&J stated the settlement covers about 69,000 circumstances consolidated in federal courtroom in New Jersey, and associated circumstances in state courtroom, totalling 99.75 per cent of the remaining talc claims.
Plaintiffs’ regulation companies confirmed the deal on Monday, saying it was an excellent decision after a decade-long courtroom battle. The deal should nonetheless be authorized by the decide overseeing the federal litigation.
J&J’s vp of litigation, Erik Haas, stated the claims had been “meritless” and that the corporate was keen to settle to be able to get closure.
“Whereas we’re assured the corporate would have finally prevailed with additional litigation, because it has within the overwhelming majority of circumstances tried thus far, this decision permits the corporate to place this matter behind it and stay centered on its mission to develop medicines and units that save lives,” Haas stated.
J&J gained a big courtroom victory within the long-running authorized battle final week, when a federal decide forged doubt on particular person plaintiffs’ potential to show that talc particularly prompted their ovarian most cancers.
J&J has lengthy denied that its talc merchandise prompted most cancers, saying that talc was secure and didn’t include asbestos. The corporate stopped promoting talc-based child powder within the US in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product.
The litigation resumed in March 2025, after being placed on maintain for greater than three years throughout J&J’s repeated failed makes an attempt to resolve the lawsuits by way of a shell firm’s chapter.
In contrast to the proposed chapter settlements, Monday’s settlement applies solely to current claims and doesn’t handle future lawsuits.
