Big pharma behemoths Johnson & Johnson has agreed a payment of $700 million to settle allegations that the Company mislead its customers about the safety of its talc-based products.
This follows an investigation by no less than 42 U.S. States and Washington DC, although Johnson & Johnson did not admit wrongdoing, despite withdrawing the product from the North American market back in 2020.
Johnson & Johnson announced a settlement in principle in January after having to face thousands of lawsuits over talcum powder containing traces of asbestos blamed for causing ovarian cancer, many of these are still ongoing.
Following the 2020 North American withdrawal, the Company stopped selling talc-based baby products globally as of last year, switching instead to corn starch as the main ingredient.
“No amount of money can undo the pain caused by Johnson & Johnson’s talc-laced products, but today families can rest assured that the company is being held accountable for the harm it caused,” New York Attorney General Letitia James explained in a statement.
As reported by Reuters, Johnson & Johnson twice tried to resolve the litigation by placing into bankruptcy a subsidiary it created to contain its talc liabilities, but courts rebuffed both attempts.
In a statement to AFP, Johnson & Johnson Worldwide Vice President of Litigation Erik Haas said the company “continues to pursue several paths to achieve a comprehensive and final resolution of the talc litigation. We will continue to address the claims of those who do not want to participate in our contemplated consensual bankruptcy resolution through litigation or settlement.”
