J&J’s Red River Talc unit made its filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. J&J faces lawsuits from more than 62,000 claimants who alleged that its baby powder and other talc products were contaminated with asbestos and caused ovarian and other cancers. After being rebuffed twice by federal courts, New Brunswick New Jersey-based J&J is attempting again to end the litigation in a so-called “Texas two-step” bankruptcy. J&J said the Red River unit filed the bankruptcy case after it received support of about 83% of current claimants for the proposed bankruptcy plan. The goal is to use the proceeding to force all plaintiffs into one settlement, without requiring J&J itself to file for bankruptcy.

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Persons: Reuters —, Johnson, J, Dietrich Knauth, Leigh Jones, Will Dunham, Sandra Maler, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Reuters, Johnson, Bankruptcy, Southern, Southern District of, Supreme, Purdue Locations: U.S, Southern District, Southern District of Texas, New Brunswick New Jersey, Texas, Bengaluru