Johnson & Johnson inked a $700 million settlement deal with 42 states and Washington, DC, on Tuesday to resolve claims that it deceptively marketed its talc products.
As part of the deal, J&J has said it will not manufacture or distribute talc products in the US. The company stopped manufacturing talc products in the country in 2020, but has maintained that the halt was a business decision due to “misinformation about the safety.” J&J has not admitted wrongdoing.
The settlement still needs to be approved by a judge, and is unrelated to a separate $6.5 billion proposal announced in May that would settle tens of thousands of suits brought by ovarian cancer claimants. That plan is subject to approval by the claimants during a three-month solicitation period, which began last week.
“Consistent with the plan we outlined last year, the Company continues to pursue several paths to achieve a comprehensive and final resolution of the talc litigation,” a J&J spokesperson told Endpoints News on Wednesday. “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.”
Florida, which led the multi-state settlement with Texas and North Carolina, is set to receive more than $48 million, Attorney General Ashley Moody announced. Texas is receiving nearly $62 million.
“We have reached a landmark settlement with Johnson & Johnson ensuring that the company will abide by the law and take effective steps to protect consumers from potentially hazardous ingredients,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a news release.
In addition to Florida, Texas and North Carolina, the settlement also includes every other state except Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming.