Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced a proposed 5.5 billion USD settlement aimed at resolving nearly all remaining U.S. lawsuits alleging that its talc-based products caused ovarian cancer, marking one of the largest mass-tort settlement efforts in the company's history. The proposed agreement covers approximately 76,000 pending claims and will take effect only if at least 95% of eligible claimants agree to participate.
The company said the settlement is intended to bring finality to years of litigation while allowing it to focus on developing medicines and medical technologies. J&J emphasized that the agreement does not represent an admission of liability and reiterated its long-standing position that scientific evidence supports the safety of its talc products.
According to the proposed terms, J&J expects to make an initial payment of up to 3 billion USD in 2027, with remaining payments scheduled from 2028 onward. The company stated that it has already resolved the majority of mesothelioma-related talc claims and other related disputes, leaving ovarian cancer lawsuits as the primary unresolved litigation.
The announcement follows recent court developments in which a U.S. federal judge questioned whether plaintiffs' expert witnesses had provided sufficient scientific evidence linking J&J's talc products to ovarian cancer. While the litigation could have continued for years, the company said the proposed settlement offers a practical path toward resolving the remaining cases.
If approved by the required majority of claimants, the agreement could bring an end to a legal battle that has spanned more than a decade and significantly reduce one of the largest ongoing litigation risks facing the healthcare giant.
