Johnson & Johnson agrees to $5.5 billion settlement over tens of thousands of cancer claims

Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay an estimated $5.5 billion to settle approximately 76,000 lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and talc-based products caused ovarian cancer, bringing an end to a legal battle that has spanned more than a decade.

The settlement is intended to resolve thousands of claims filed against the pharmaceutical and consumer health giant. While agreeing to the payout, the company continues to deny any wrongdoing, describing the allegations as "baseless" and maintaining that its talc products are safe.

For years, Johnson & Johnson has faced lawsuits claiming that some of its talcum powder products contained asbestos, a known carcinogen, and that long-term use increased the risk of ovarian cancer. The company has consistently rejected those claims, arguing that extensive scientific testing has found its products to be asbestos-free.

The litigation has produced mixed outcomes in court. In October 2025, a California jury awarded $966 million in damages to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer after reportedly using Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder for six decades.

More recently, however, the company secured a legal victory when a federal judge questioned whether the plaintiffs had presented sufficient evidence to establish that the talc products caused ovarian cancer. The ruling followed Johnson & Johnson's argument that its talc products did not contain asbestos.

Johnson & Johnson discontinued the global sale of its talc-based baby powder in 2023, replacing it with a cornstarch-based formula. The company has said the decision was driven by declining demand and ongoing litigation rather than concerns over the product's safety.

The proposed settlement would resolve the vast majority of the remaining claims, marking one of the largest mass tort settlements involving consumer products in recent years.