Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has offered a $5.5 bn payout to settle thousands of claims from people who claim its baby powder has caused cancer.
Around 76,000 Americans are claiming the powder caused ovarian cancer or mesothelioma—which is usually caused by asbestos exposure—after using the baby powder between 1965 and 2023. There are a further 3,000 claims pending in the UK.
The company changed the formula of its baby powder from talcum to cornstarch in the US in 2020 and then globally in 2023.
Although Johnson & Johnson maintains the claims are ‘without merit’, it has set aside $5.5 bn (£4.14bn) to settle all claims, although lawyers representing the families estimate the final settlement could exceed £5 bn.
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