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Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $700 million to settle a multistate case regarding the marketing of its baby powder products that contained talc and are believed to have harmed consumers.
The case, which involved 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, alleged that Johnson & Johnson misled its consumers by claiming its talc-based powder products were safe to use. The legal action was led by the the attorneys general of Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.
“We are leading a multistate action against Johnson & Johnson’s deceptive marketing of products that contained talc, securing $700 million nationwide,” said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in a statement. “This is a major advancement for consumer product safety, as Johnson & Johnson has stopped the manufacturing and marketing of products containing talc powder — which may be linked to serious health issues, including cancer.”
As part of a consent decree, Johnson & Johnson has agreed not to resume the production and sale of all baby and body powder products that contain talc.
The company halted the sale of all its talc-based powder products globally last year, replacing talc with cornstarch.
Still, Johnson & Johnson admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its worldwide vice president of litigation, Erik Hass, told CBS that Johnson & Johnson “continues to pursue several paths to achieve a comprehensive and final resolution of the talc litigation.”
Over 61,000 people had filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson as of March 31. The lawsuits claim the company’s talc products cause cancer and mesothelioma.
In May, Johnson & Johnson proposed paying $6.5 billion over 25 years via the bankruptcy of its its subsidiary LTL Management to settle all pending and future U.S. lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc-based products caused ovarian cancer.