Johnson & Johnson is making a push to resolve lawsuits claiming its talc-based Baby Powder causes cancer linked to asbestos exposure to avoid facing some jury trials next year, Bloomberg News reported. A trio of law firms have reached agreements for settlements covering about 100 cases, said the people, who declined to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The financial size of the accords are being kept private, the people added. The deals may be mentioned Tuesday as part of J&J’s investor presentation at the New York Stock Exchange if company officials update shareholders about the plan for corralling the decade-long talc litigation, the people said. The session’s main focus is the company’s long-term growth outlook and product pipeline. The company is striving to find a way to resolve all current and future baby powder cases after a judge nixed its attempt to settle them for $9 billion as part of a unit’s bankruptcy filing. The deals are part of the manufacturer’s multi-pronged strategy to deal with the lawsuits, which have created a drag on its shares.
