Johnson & Johnson has reached a landmark settlement of $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer.The agreement covers approximately 69,000 cases consolidated in federal court in New Jersey and related state court cases, totaling 99.75% of remaining talc claims.Plaintiffs’ law firms confirmed the deal as a fair resolution after a decade-long legal battle.

While the settlement must still be approved by the overseeing judge, the company maintains its stance that the product was safe and did not contain asbestos.This follows a recent court victory where a federal judge cast doubt on plaintiffs’ ability to prove talc caused ovarian cancer.The litigation resumed in March 2025 after being paused for over three years during J&J’s failed attempts to resolve claims through bankruptcy.Unlike previous settlements, this agreement applies only to existing cases and does not address future lawsuits.The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S.in 2020, switching to a cornstarch alternative.