J&J Gets Plaintiff Backing for $6.5 Billion Baby Powder Accord

Johnson & Johnson has cleared a key hurdle for advancing a $6.5 billion plan to resolve thousands of lawsuits by people who say its baby powder gave them cancer, according to people familiar with the matter.

More than 75% of the group signed off on J&J’s proposal through secret balloting that ended in late July, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing the results that haven’t yet been announced as certified. Such a result would boost the company’s latest bid to confine liability to a unit it set up as part of an effort to resolve the ...