Johnson & Johnson ​said it would pay an estimated $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its baby powder and ‌other talc products cause ovarian cancer, in a landmark deal that could end a contentious legal battle that has dogged the company for a decade.

J&J said the settlement covers about 76,000 claims, including ones consolidated in federal court in New Jersey, and related cases in state court, representing nearly all of the remaining talc claims against the company.

J&J has been dogged for years by accusations that talcum powder in its products, including baby powder, contained cancer-causing asbestos. The New Jersey-based firm has repeatedly denied that its products caused cancer. Some scientific studies have shown that women do have an increased risk of ovarian cancer with talc use in the genital area, but others do not.

In 2020, the company ditched its talc-based baby powder in North America to rely on a cornstarch-based formula, and did the same in 2023 for its global sales, reported CNN. 

In both cases, J&J said it wanted to simplify its portfolio of goods and defended the safety of the talc-based product.

Erik Haas, J&J’s vice president of litigation, said the lawsuits “lack scientific merit.”

“While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it,” he said in Monday’s statement.

J&J previously settled most of the cases ​alleging that its talc contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma.

Plaintiffs' law firms confirmed the deal on Monday, saying it was a good resolution ​after a decade-long court battle. The deal must be accepted by 95 percent of the ovarian cancer claimants in state or federal court before it becomes final.

Chris Seeger, a lawyer representing some of the plaintiffs, called the settlement “a fair measure of long-delayed justice” in a statement on Monday.

In a statement to CNN, Seeger said that the value of the settlement is uncapped and could rise further. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding J&J’s claim that the cases lacked a scientific basis.

Last week, a federal judge cast doubt on around 69,000 claims, saying that plaintiffs must provide specific evidence linking their ovarian cancer to J&J’s baby powder and other talc-based products, according to Reuters.

The lawsuits against J&J have seen mixed outcomes, with the company being held responsible for large verdicts in some cases, and others where juries found the company not liable.

In October, a Los Angeles jury ordered J&J to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer usually caused by asbestos exposure.