Johnson & Johnson mentioned on Monday it will pay an estimated $5.5 billion to resolve tens of hundreds of lawsuits alleging its child powder and different talc merchandise trigger ovarian most cancers, in a landmark deal that might finish a contentious authorized battle that has dogged the corporate for a decade.
J&J mentioned the settlement covers about 76,000 claims, together with ones consolidated in federal courtroom in New Jersey, and associated instances in state courtroom, representing practically the entire remaining talc claims towards the corporate. J&J beforehand settled a lot of the instances alleging that its talc contained asbestos and brought on mesothelioma.
Plaintiffs’ legislation companies confirmed the deal on Monday, saying it was a superb decision after a decade-long courtroom battle. The deal should be accepted by 95% of the ovarian most cancers claimants in state or federal courtroom earlier than it turns into remaining.
J&J’s vice chairman of litigation, Erik Haas, mentioned the claims had been “meritless” and that the corporate was prepared to settle to be able to get closure.
“Whereas we’re assured the corporate would have in the end prevailed with additional litigation, because it has within the overwhelming majority of instances tried up to now, this decision permits the corporate to place this matter behind it and stay centered on its mission to develop medicines and gadgets that save lives,” Haas mentioned.
J&J expects to pay $3 billion in 2027, and it’ll make additional funds in 2028. However the deal might be price extra, relying on how many individuals take part within the settlement.
Chris Seeger, an legal professional who represents about 2,500 shoppers with talc claims and helped negotiate the settlement, mentioned J&J may in the end pay $7 billion or extra. The settlement assigns particular values to qualifying ovarian most cancers claims however doesn’t cap J&J’s complete payout, he mentioned.
“We obtained a good settlement, and our shoppers are going to be pleased with it,” Seeger mentioned in an interview.
DEAL COMES AFTER COURTROOM WINS
J&J reached the settlement after a collection of wins in courtroom, together with victories in particular person trials, profitable efforts to disqualify plaintiffs’ legal professionals from the litigation, and courtroom rulings towards consultants that plaintiffs had used to show their instances in courtroom.
J&J gained a big courtroom victory within the long-running authorized battle final week, when a federal choose solid doubt on particular person plaintiffs’ potential to show that talc particularly brought on their ovarian most cancers.
J&J has lengthy denied that its talc merchandise brought on most cancers, saying that talc was protected and didn’t comprise asbestos. The corporate stopped promoting talc-based child powder within the U.S. in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product.
The litigation resumed in March 2025, after being put on maintain for greater than three years whereas J&J unsuccessfully pursued a method referred to as the “Texas two step,” submitting three bankruptcies by means of a shell-company subsidiary in an effort to settle the instances. Every chapter led to dismissal.
Earlier than the chapter makes an attempt, J&J had a combined document in talc trials, with a multibillion verdict in favor of twenty-two ladies who mentioned child powder brought on their ovarian most cancers. The corporate gained some trials outright and had different verdicts diminished on attraction.
In contrast to the proposed chapter settlements, Monday’s settlement applies solely to current claims and doesn’t handle future lawsuits.
The exclusion of future claims made extra money out there to present plaintiffs than the chapter proposal did, and it additionally accelerates the funds so that each one claims will likely be paid inside 18 months as a substitute of being unfold out over greater than a decade, Seeger mentioned.
