Johnson & Johnson will pay $6.5 billion to women who said their talcum powder caused ovarian cancer

Johnson and Johnson will pay nearly $6.5 billion to tens of thousands of people who say the talcum powder caused them ovarian cancer.

The deal, unveiled today, would allow the pharmaceutical giant to resolve the more than 54,000 lawsuits and any future claims it faces over the powder.

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

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

Lora Stahl, 56, of Nebraska, pictured here with her husband Herb and grandson, is one of more than 54,000 people who say J&J’s baby powder gave them cancer. She previously suffered from ovarian cancer

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

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

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

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

Last month, J&J was also ordered to pay $45 million 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 prevent rashes.

It was used to make J&J’s Baby Powder, which was popular for decades because it helped babies prevent diaper rash and adults prevent chafing.

But the mineral, which is extracted from the earth, may contain small amounts of asbestos in its natural form, according to some studies – a carcinogen known to cause cancer when inhaled repeatedly.

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

Many of the claims are made by women who say they developed ovarian cancer from the powder, or people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer around the heart that can be caused by inhaling toxic asbestos.

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

At the age of 35, she was diagnosed with stage two ovarian cancer, requiring doctors to remove her uterus, cervix and ovaries to stop the spread of the disease.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, she said: ‘I was still in my childbearing years, my husband and I were still young. I lay there and it dawned on me, “Oh my God, I can’t have any more children. We’re done having a family, we have no choice. It’s not my choice anymore.”

Another plaintiff is 24-year-old Emory Valadez of California, who said the company’s baby powder caused him to develop a rare and fatal cancer.

In March of this year, J&J got another chance to challenge the scientific evidence linking talc to ovarian cancer in the centralized lawsuit in New Jersey federal court.

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

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

The company said it has prevailed in 95 percent of ovarian cases tried to date, including all ovarian cases tried in the past six years.