Johnson & Johnson to pay $6.5bn to women who said its talc powder caused their ovarian CANCERS

Johnson and Johnson is set to pay nearly $6.5billion to tens of thousands of people who say its talc powder gave them ovarian cancer.

The deal, revealed today, would allow the pharma giant to resolve the more than 54,000 lawsuits and all future claims it may face over the powder.

It comes after the company also revealed it would pay about $700million to dozens of states to settle claims it misled consumers by covering up talc's links to cancer.

J&J, based in New Jersey, has admitted no wrongdoing and continues to insist that its talcum powder is safe, did not contain asbestos and did not cause cancer.  

The deal marks the third time J&J has considered filing for the bankruptcy of a subsidiary company in order to resolve the lawsuits after courts rejected its two previous attempts.

The latest proposal will now enter a three-month voting period at the company before being finalized. 

The previous bankruptcy filing put the case on hold, but in July 2023 a federal judge ruled the second case should be dismissed — allowing the third to proceed.

It was not clear how much could be paid to each person filing a lawsuit, but in previous cases, J&J has paid out $2.12billion to 22 women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in its talc.

In the past month, J&J was also ordered to pay $45million to the family of a baby powder user in Chicago.

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral that absorbs moisture and reduces friction, making it useful for keeping skin dry and helping to prevent rashes.

It was used to make J&J's baby powder, which was popular for decades because it helped infants avoid diaper rash and adults avoid chafing.

But the mineral, which is mined from the Earth, can contain small amounts of asbestos in its natural form, according to some studies — a carcinogen known to cause cancers when repeatedly inhaled.

Once asbestos fibers enter the body, they can lodge in soft tissue permanently, causing severe cellular damage and inflammation over time — which can lead to cancer. 

Many of the claims are being brought by women who say they developed ovarian cancer because of the powder, or people who were diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer around the heart that can be caused by inhaling toxic asbestos.

Among them is 56-year-old Lora Stahl from Nebraska, who claims she had to have a hysterectomy and was robbed of the chance to grow her family after the baby powder caused a cancerous tumor to form in her ovaries.

She was diagnosed with stage two ovarian cancer at the age of 35, with doctors having to remove her uterus, cervix and ovaries to halt the disease's spread.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, she said: 'I was still in my childbearing years, my husband and I were still young. I was lying there, and it just hit me, "Oh, my gosh, I can't have kids anymore. We're done having a family, we don't have a choice. It's not my choice anymore."’

Another claimant is 24-year-old Emory Valadez from California, who said the firm's baby powder caused him to develop a rare and deadly cancer.

In March this year, J&J received a new chance to contest the scientific evidence linking talc to ovarian cancer in the centralized litigation in New Jersey federal court.   

The judge overseeing the cases said that recent changes in the law and new scientific evidence require a fresh review, and he asked J&J to present new arguments on the science by late July.

J&J said it will continue to defend itself against the lawsuits while trying to gather votes on the settlement. 

The company said it has prevailed in 95 percent of ovarian cases tried to date, including every ovarian case tried over the last six years.