IN a significant development for plaintiffs pursuing claims against Johnson & Johnson, a federal judge has ruled that expert testimony linking the company’s talc-based baby powder to ovarian cancer may be presented at trial.
Reuters, on Wednesday, cited the decision brings the long-running litigation, which encompasses more than 67,500 consolidated lawsuits in New Jersey, one step closer to its first federal court trial, potentially later this year.
The ruling was issued by retired U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson, acting as a special master to review the admissibility of scientific evidence.
U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp in Trenton, New Jersey, who currently oversees the multidistrict litigation, appointed Wolfson to determine which expert testimony meets federal standards for scientific reliability.
“Product liability lawsuits like these rely on experts to establish that a product is capable of causing the alleged harm,” court observers noted. Decisions regarding expert testimony are often pivotal in determining whether cases can proceed to trial.
Johnson & Johnson has consistently maintained that its talc products are safe and do not cause cancer. The company ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based alternative.
This is the second time Judge Wolfson has assessed the scientific evidence in the case. She first reviewed it in 2020 and ruled that plaintiffs’ experts could testify that talc products might cause cancer due to potential contamination with asbestos and heavy metals, claims that J&J continues to dispute.
Shipp ordered a reevaluation in 2024 in response to recent changes in federal rules governing expert testimony and the emergence of new scientific studies.
J&J has previously sought to resolve the litigation through bankruptcy filings, a strategy that was rejected three times by federal courts, most recently in April 2025, leaving the majority of cases on hold for several years.
Prior state court trials have produced mixed results for the company. In one prominent case, 22 women were collectively awarded US$4.69 billion after claiming baby powder caused their ovarian cancer, although some verdicts were subsequently reduced on appeal, and J&J has won several trials outright.
The company has also faced lawsuits alleging its talc products caused mesothelioma, a rare but fatal cancer, settling some claims while others have proceeded to trial, including a US$1.5 billion verdict in Baltimore in December 2025.
As the federal litigation moves forward, both plaintiffs and defendants await further rulings that could set the stage for the first major trial in the consolidated proceedings. - January 21, 2026
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