Federal multidistrict litigation tracker

MDL 2738 Update — Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit

In re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation. Counts are monthly JPML snapshots and can change between reports.

Lawsuit status — September 2026

Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit

Verified September 14, 2026

MDL: MDL-2738
Court: D.N.J.
Judge: Judge Michael A. Shipp
Pending cases: 69,250; +336 since prior report
Current phase: Conditional ovarian-cancer settlement proposal; MDL remains active
Settlement status: conditional proposal announced
Latest development: JPML reports 69,250 pending actions and 71,935 historical actions in MDL-2738.
Next major event: No future public court date is currently verified in this record.

What changed this month?

●JPML reports 69,250 pending actions and 71,935 historical actions in MDL-2738. Source
●Pending actions increased by 336 from 68,914 on August 3, 2026. This is a net docket change, not a count of new claims. Source
●J&J disclosed a conditional $5.5 billion ovarian-talc proposal requiring at least 95% participation. Source
●The disclosed company funding begins with no more than $3 billion in 2027; it is not a claimant payment date. Source
●A special master filed recommendations on Rule 702 expert-admissibility motions, distinct from any jury verdict. Source

MDL details

Created: October 4, 2016
Pending: 69,250
Total actions filed: 71,935
Monthly change: +336

Defendants named in the tracked record

Johnson & Johnson; Kenvue Inc. (consumer-health spinoff; Johnson's Baby Powder brand); LLT Management LLC (formerly LTL Management) / Red River Talc LLC (J&J talc-liability subsidiaries). Defendants dispute the allegations.

Historical case counts

Report	Pending	Total filed
September 1, 2026	69,250	71,935
August 3, 2026	68,914	71,601

What the litigation alleges

The tracked claims concern defective consumer product / failure-to-warn injury claim, including ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. These are allegations; defendants dispute liability and causation.

Stage and bellwether status

On July 27, 2026, Johnson & Johnson disclosed a proposed $5.5 billion ovarian-talc resolution conditional on at least 95% participation and other criteria. Its disclosed funding schedule begins in 2027. This is a conditional proposal, not confirmation that all claims are resolved or that individual payments are available. J&J disputes the allegations.

Settlement status

J&J’s July 27, 2026 SEC-filed announcement requires participation representing at least 95% of remaining ovarian-talc claims and other conditions. It calls for an initial payment of no more than $3 billion in 2027, with no additional payments due before 2028. This describes company funding, not an individual claimant payment date. The records reviewed on September 14 do not establish satisfaction of all conditions.

Individual claims: No universal per-person payment or claimant deadline verified. The proposal concerns ovarian-talc litigation; do not treat it as a new mesothelioma claim program.