Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay an estimated $5.5 billion to settle nearly 76,000 lawsuits alleging its talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer, marking a major step toward ending a decade of litigation against the company.
The settlement covers claims consolidated in federal court in New Jersey as well as related state court cases, representing almost all remaining talc lawsuits against J&J.
The company had previously resolved most claims linking its talc products to mesothelioma. The deal must be accepted by 95 percent of claimants before becoming final.
Plaintiffs lawyers called the agreement a favorable outcome after ten years of legal disputes. J&J vice president of litigation Erik Haas said the claims were without merit but that the company chose to settle to close the matter and remain focused on developing medicines and devices.
J&J expects to pay $3 billion in 2027, with further payments in 2028.
The total could rise depending on participation. Attorney Chris Seeger, who represents about 2,500 claimants and helped negotiate the deal, said the payout could ultimately reach $7 billion or more, since the settlement assigns values to claims without capping the total amount.
The agreement follows a string of courtroom wins for J&J, including favorable trial verdicts, disqualification of plaintiffs lawyers, and rulings against expert witnesses. Last week, a federal judge cast doubt on plaintiffs ability to prove talc caused their cancer.
J&J has long denied its talc products cause cancer and stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020, switching to cornstarch. Litigation resumed in March 2025 after a pause during which J&J pursued bankruptcy filings through a shell subsidiary, each of which was dismissed.
Unlike those bankruptcy proposals, the agreement covers only existing claims, not future lawsuits. Seeger said this freed up more money for current plaintiffs and sped up payments, with all claims to be paid within 18 months instead of over a decade.
