Johnson & Johnson proposes $5.5B to resolve talc lawsuits
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement for a comprehensive resolution of the remaining lawsuits alleging that its talc products caused ovarian cancer, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to JNJ’s press release, the proposed resolution, reached with the plaintiff firms leading the federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) and related state court proceedings, is conditioned on, among other criteria, the participation of lead plaintiff firms representing at least 95% of the remaining claims.
The announcement follows a recent ruling by the MDL court. On July 22, 2026, the court ordered plaintiffs to show cause why the remaining talc claims should not be dismissed for failure to prove specific causation, after plaintiffs withdrew their specific-causation experts in two bellwether cases.
Under the proposed resolution, the company has committed $5.5 billion in per-claim payments, with an initial payment of no more than $3 billion due in 2027. No additional payments would be due before 2028.
JNJ said the proposed resolution complements earlier settlements covering about 95% of filed mesothelioma lawsuits, as well as all state consumer protection claims and talc-supplier disputes.
The company reiterated its position that scientific research and studies by independent medical experts support the safety of cosmetic talc, and that talc does not contain asbestos or cause cancer.
JNJ also noted that it discontinued talc-based JOHNSON’S Baby Powder worldwide in 2023. Following the separation of its consumer health business, Kenvue, in 2023, the company retained all talc-related liabilities and agreed to indemnify Kenvue for talc litigation costs in the United States and Canada.
Earlier, it was reported that Johnson & Johnson had been ordered to pay $966m to the family of a woman who died of mesothelioma, finding the company liable in the latest lawsuit alleging its baby powder products cause cancer.