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

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

The company said the proposed settlement covers around 76,000 claims, representing nearly all remaining talc claims. It said the deal is intended to end a long-running legal battle that has weighed on the New Jersey-based firm for years.

Johnson & Johnson denies that its talc-based products caused cancer. Its vice president of litigation said the claims “lack scientific merit” and said the resolution would allow the company to put the matter behind it.

The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada in 2020. It has previously settled most cases alleging that its talcum powder contained traces of asbestos blamed for causing cancer.

Johnson & Johnson also faces a lawsuit in the United Kingdom over similar claims filed in 2025. The law firm representing around 3,000 complainants says that compensation claim is estimated at more than £1 billion, or $1.3 billion.

Claimants allege that they or a family member developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder.