Johnson & Johnson has offered $8.9 billion (€8.1 billion) to end all US lawsuits over the sale of talc, which is suspected of causing cancer.
The settlement, which still requires court approval, will “fairly and effectively resolve all claims” that the US drugmaker’s talc contains asbestos and causes ovarian cancer, the company said Tuesday.
Johnson & Johnson said the settlement is not an admission of guilt and continues to insist the talc is “safe” despite the product being withdrawn from the US market.
According to the filing, the settlement, which can be paid by the affiliate over 25 years, is for “settlement of all current and future claims” regarding the talc.
The company said that more than 60,000 applicants agreed with such a resolution.
“The company continues to believe these complaints are unsubstantiated and have no scientific merit,” a Johnson spokesman cited in the statement said. But the agreement will allow “timely compensation for the plaintiffs,” he stressed.
In June 2021, after years of litigation, Johnson & Johnson was finally ordered to pay $2.1 billion (€1.9 billion) in damages.
A Missouri Court of Appeals found that Johnson & Johnson “knowingly sold products containing asbestos to consumers” causing “serious physical, mental and emotional harm.”
In May 2020, despite professing innocence, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would stop selling talc in the US and Canada, where sales have declined due to changing habits and distrust of the product.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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