Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits in the United States alleging that its talc-based baby powder products caused cancer. The company announced that the proposed settlement would resolve approximately 69,000 legal claims, covering the overwhelming majority of pending talc-related cases in U.S. courts.
The lawsuits claim that prolonged use of the company's talc-based products increased the risk of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. While Johnson & Johnson has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that scientific evidence does not prove talc causes cancer, the legal disputes have continued for years.
Talc, the primary ingredient in the company's traditional baby powder, has remained at the centre of the controversy. In 2024, the World Health Organization's cancer research agency classified talc as "probably carcinogenic to humans" under certain exposure conditions, further intensifying public concern.
The controversy dates back to 2016, when a U.S. court awarded substantial damages to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after using talc-based products. Although that particular verdict was later overturned, thousands of additional lawsuits followed across the country.
Johnson & Johnson discontinued sales of its talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and later stopped selling the product globally in 2023, replacing it with a cornstarch-based alternative. Despite the settlement, the company continues to reject claims that its products are unsafe or that they directly cause cancer.
Company officials described the agreement as an important step toward resolving nearly a decade of litigation, though certain lawsuits filed outside the settlement framework will continue through the legal system.
