In a big relief to&nbsp;pharmaceutical giant Johnson &amp;&nbsp;Johnson, a US court on Thursday halted at least 38,000 out of the 40,000 lawsuits that allege that its baby powder and other talc-based products cause cancer.

US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan, however, allowed other cases to proceed with depositions and other matters as long as no trials commence, a Reuters report said. New lawsuits can also be filed against the pharmaceutical company, the judge added. &nbsp;

The halt in lawsuits will give Johnson &amp; Johnson time to get court's approval of an $8.9 billion settlement which was announced on April 3 this year, Bloomberg reported. All lawsuits have been&nbsp;consolidated in a federal district court in New Jersey.

However, the report added that the pharmaceutical company had sought complete relief from lawsuits as part of the bankruptcy case involving its subsidiary LTL Management.&nbsp;

Plaintiffs have argued that Johnson and Johnson's talc contain asbestos which causes gynecological diseases like ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. However, the company has said that its talc is safe, asbestos-free and does not cause cancer.

Johnson &amp; Johnson's settlement plan

As a part of the "Texas Two step" bankruptcy law, the US pharma giant in October 2021 offloaded all lawsuits onto a new subsidiary, LTL Management, which then declared bankruptcy.&nbsp;

However, the bankruptcy filing was invalidated in January this year. The new subsidiary filed its second bankruptcy in early April in a bid to present a settlement plan by May 14.&nbsp;

Johnson and Johnson and its subsidiary have argued that bankruptcy delivers settlement payouts more "fairly, efficiently and equitably" than a “lottery” offered by trial courts, where some litigants get large awards and others nothing.

Johnson and Johnson has claimed that over 60,000 litigants support the proposed $8.9 billion settlement. But lawyers representing those opposing the billion-dollar settlement have dismissed the company's claim.&nbsp;

They have accused the pharma company of abusing the bankruptcy system, adding that a multinational conglomerate valued at more than $400 billion is in little danger of running out of money to pay cancer victims.

“We continue to believe that this bankruptcy effort is illegitimate and that stance will be affirmed through the appellate process," Reuters quoted Leigh O’Dell, one of the lead lawyers for plaintiffs,&nbsp;as saying.

In a big relief to pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, a US court on Thursday halted at least 38,000 out of the 40,000 lawsuits that allege that its baby powder and other talc-based products cause cancer.

In a big relief to pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, a US court on Thursday halted at least 38,000 out of the 40,000 lawsuits that allege that its baby powder and other talc-based products cause cancer. US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan, however, allowed other cases to proceed with depositions and other matters as long as no trials commence, a Reuters report said. New lawsuits can also be filed against the pharmaceutical company, the judge added. The halt in lawsuits will give Johnson & Johnson time to get court's approval of an $8.9 billion settlement which was announced on April 3 this year, Bloomberg reported. All lawsuits have been consolidated in a federal district court in New Jersey. However, the report added that the pharmaceutical company had sought complete relief from lawsuits as part of the bankruptcy case involving its subsidiary LTL Management. Plaintiffs have argued that Johnson and Johnson's talc contain asbestos which causes gynecological diseases like ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. However, the company has said that its talc is safe, asbestos-free and does not cause cancer. Johnson & Johnson's settlement plan As a part of the "Texas Two step" bankruptcy law, the US pharma giant in October 2021 offloaded all lawsuits onto a new subsidiary, LTL Management, which then declared bankruptcy. However, the bankruptcy filing was invalidated in January this year. The new subsidiary filed its second bankruptcy in early April in a bid to present a settlement plan by May 14. Johnson and Johnson and its subsidiary have argued that bankruptcy delivers settlement payouts more "fairly, efficiently and equitably" than a “lottery” offered by trial courts, where some litigants get large awards and others nothing. Johnson and Johnson has claimed that over 60,000 litigants support the proposed $8.9 billion settlement. But lawyers representing those opposing the billion-dollar settlement have dismissed the company's claim. They have accused the pharma company of abusing the bankruptcy system, adding that a multinational conglomerate valued at more than $400 billion is in little danger of running out of money to pay cancer victims. “We continue to believe that this bankruptcy effort is illegitimate and that stance will be affirmed through the appellate process," Reuters quoted Leigh O’Dell, one of the lead lawyers for plaintiffs, as saying.

Johnson & Johnson gets relief as US court halts most talc lawsuits, stops trials

A US court has upheld a verdict that talcum powder sold by Johnson & Johnson caused ovarian cancer and ordered the pharmaceutical giant to pay $2.1 billion in damages.

A US court has upheld a verdict that talcum powder sold by Johnson & Johnson caused ovarian cancer and ordered the pharmaceutical giant to pay $2.1 billion in damages. The decision by the Missouri Court of Appeals cut by more than half the $4.4 billion a jury had awarded 22 people in 2018. The court agreed that some of the plaintiffs should not have been included in the case as they were from outside the state. But the Tuesday decision upheld the awarding of damages for the company "knowingly selling products that contained asbestos to consumers." "Because defendants are large, multi-billion-dollar corporations, we believe a large amount of punitive damages is necessary to have an effect in this case," the judgement said. "It is impossible to place monetary value on the physical, mental and emotional anguish plaintiffs suffered because of their injury caused by defendants." A spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson said the company would appeal the decision in the Supreme Court of Missouri, according to the Wall Street Journal. Johnson & Johnson has faced thousands of lawsuits across the United States alleging it failed to warn consumers of the risk of cancer from asbestos in its talc-based products. In 2019 a California jury became the latest to award millions in damages to a plaintiff who said the company's baby powder had given her terminal cancer. Last month the firm announced it was discontinuing production of its talc-based baby powder in the US and Canada, in part due to the "constant barrage of litigation advertising" over the product. It will continue to sell the product in the rest of the world, it added.

Johnson & Johnson told to pay $2.1 billion over cancer-causing talc powder

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