Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay an estimated $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its baby powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer, marking a major step toward ending a decade-long legal battle.
The settlement covers approximately 76,000 claims, including cases consolidated in federal court in New Jersey as well as related state court lawsuits. According to the company, the agreement would resolve nearly all remaining talc-related ovarian cancer claims against J&J.
The deal still requires approval from 95% of ovarian cancer claimants in state and federal courts before it becomes final.
Settlement Could Exceed Initial Estimate
Johnson & Johnson expects to pay $3 billion in 2027, with additional payments scheduled for 2028. However, the company’s total payout could exceed the estimated $5.5 billion depending on how many eligible claimants participate.
Chris Seeger, an attorney representing about 2,500 plaintiffs who helped negotiate the agreement, said the settlement assigns specific values to qualifying ovarian cancer claims but does not cap J&J’s total financial obligation.
As a result, Seeger said the company could ultimately pay $7 billion or more.
“We got a fair settlement, and our clients are going to be happy with it,” Seeger said.
Company Continues to Reject Allegations
Johnson & Johnson has consistently denied that its talc products caused cancer, maintaining that its products were safe and did not contain asbestos.
Erik Haas, the company’s vice president of litigation, described the lawsuits as “meritless” and said the settlement was intended to bring the long-running litigation to a close.
“While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, 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,” Haas said.
The company previously settled most lawsuits alleging its talc products contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma.
Court Victories Helped Shape Agreement
The settlement follows a series of courtroom victories for Johnson & Johnson, including favorable rulings in individual trials, successful efforts to disqualify plaintiffs’ attorneys from parts of the litigation, and court decisions excluding expert testimony relied upon by plaintiffs.
Last week, the company secured another significant legal victory when a federal judge questioned whether individual plaintiffs could prove that talc specifically caused their ovarian cancer.
Johnson & Johnson stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based product.
Long Legal Battle Nears Resolution
The litigation resumed in March 2025 after being paused for more than three years while Johnson & Johnson pursued a series of bankruptcy filings through a subsidiary under a strategy known as the “Texas two-step.” The company sought to resolve the lawsuits through bankruptcy proceedings, but all three cases were dismissed.
Before those bankruptcy attempts, Johnson & Johnson experienced mixed outcomes in court, including a multibillion-dollar verdict awarded to 22 women who alleged the company’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer. The company also won several trials outright and had other verdicts reduced on appeal.
Unlike the proposed bankruptcy settlements, the new agreement applies only to existing claims and does not cover future lawsuits.
According to Seeger, excluding future claims allows more money to be distributed to current plaintiffs while significantly accelerating payments, with all claims expected to be paid within 18 months instead of over more than a decade.
