Johnson & Johnson agrees $5.5 billion talc ovarian cancer settlement
Business
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) just agreed to pay $5.5 billion to settle claims that its talc-based products, like baby powder, caused ovarian cancer.
This deal wraps up 99.75% of remaining talc claims, covering nearly all cases, and marks a huge moment after years of legal battles.
Johnson & Johnson denies talc causation
J&J still says its talc products are safe and don't cause cancer, but it stopped selling its talc-based baby powder in the US back in 2020 and switched to cornstarch instead.
The company tried settling through bankruptcy but couldn't make it work.
A recent court win for J&J, where a judge questioned if talc really caused the cancers, also pushed it toward this settlement.