J&J Said to Settle Talc Case in First Shift From Battle Mode

Johnson & Johnson may be sending a peace signal after two years of warring over allegations that its iconic baby powder causes cancer.

In what appears to be a first-of-its-kind settlement while facing thousands of lawsuits, the world’s largest health-care products maker and its talc supplier agreed to pay more than $1.5 million to a woman who claimed J&J’s baby powder gave her asbestos cancer, according to people familiar with the accord.

“They are tired of dealing with headline-grabbing verdicts,” said Elizabeth Burch, a professor at the University of Georgia who teaches about mass-tort law.

The settlement resolves a Manhattan ...