Johnson & Johnson has reached a $700 million settlement with 42 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. following an investigation into the marketing of its talc-based products, such as baby powder, that have been linked to cancer. The company was accused of misleading consumers about the safety of these products, which they sold for over a century. Despite the settlement, Johnson & Johnson maintains that its talc products are safe and do not cause cancer.
The attorney general of Florida, Ashley Moody, hailed the settlement as a significant step forward for consumer product safety. However, the company still faces a large number of lawsuits related to their talc products, with over 61,000 people suing Johnson & Johnson as of March 31. Most of these cases involve women with ovarian cancer, though some are linked to mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos exposure.
In response to the ongoing litigation, Johnson & Johnson stopped selling talc-based baby powder globally and switched to corn starch as the main ingredient. The company has made several attempts to resolve the lawsuits, including proposing a $6.48 billion settlement to address most of the claims. Despite these efforts, Johnson & Johnson continues to pursue various paths to reach a final resolution for the talc litigation.
