Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced on May 5 that it has reached a $5.5 billion agreement to settle approximately 69,000 lawsuits in federal and state courts across the US, covering 99.75% of all pending talc-related cases nationwide. The lawsuits alleged that the company's talc-containing baby powder caused ovarian cancer.
The settlement will take effect only if approved by 95% of plaintiffs in state or federal courts.
Talc is a soft mineral that was once a key ingredient in cosmetics and baby products, but its use has sharply declined amid concerns over a possible cancer link. In 2024, the World Health Organization classified talc as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
Although J&J maintains there is no evidence that talc causes cancer, the company ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020 and globally in 2023.
In 2016, a US jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer, marking the first talc-related case in the country. While that verdict was overturned a year later, claims against the company surged, with many juries across the US ruling in favor of plaintiffs.
Erik Haas, J&J's head of litigation, said the agreement allows the company to “put this matter behind us.” Lawyers representing plaintiffs welcomed the deal as a good resolution to a legal battle that has spanned decades.
The settlement does not include cases in the UK, where the country's largest product-liability trial is underway with over 7,000 potential claimants. The case, filed in October 2025, accuses J&J of knowing talc could cause cancer—mainly ovarian and mesothelioma—but continuing to sell the product. J&J also denies these allegations. The case has been referred to the UK Supreme Court.
