Johnson & Johnson offers $5.5 billion to settle talc cancer lawsuits

New York: US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has offered $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits claiming that its talcum powder products caused ovarian cancer, the company said Monday.

The proposed settlement aims to end a long-standing legal battle that has weighed on the New Jersey-based firm for years. 

J&J said the settlement covers around 76,000 claims, representing nearly all remaining talc claims. 

The firm denies that its talc-based products caused cancer but stopped selling its talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada in 2020.

Its vice president of litigation said the claims "lack scientific merit." 

"This resolution allows the Company to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives," he said in a statement.

The company has previously settled most of the cases alleging that its talcum powder contained traces of asbestos blamed for causing cancer. 

It also faces a lawsuit in the United Kingdom over similar claims filed in 2025.

According to the law firm representing around 3,000 complainants, the compensation claim "is estimated to be more than £1 billion" ($1.3 billion).

Claimants allege that either they or a family member developed forms of ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using J&J's baby powder.