Mass Tort Litigation Update: July 2026
Mid-2026 is one of the busiest stretches in recent mass tort history: two new MDLs formed in a single week in June, the Supreme Court reshaped the Roundup litigation, and the FDA moved to withdraw an approved drug from the market. Here is where the major dockets stand as of July 7, 2026.
New MDLs: Dupixent and Spinal Cord Stimulators
In early June, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation created two new proceedings. Dupixent (MDL 3180), centralized in the District of New Jersey before Judge Zahid Quraishi, consolidates claims alleging the blockbuster eczema drug is associated with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator claims (MDL 3181) were centralized in the Central District of California before Judge Josephine Staton, with an initial scheduling conference expected in August. Both litigations are at their earliest stage.
Roundup: Supreme Court Ruling Changes the Landscape
On June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7–2 in Monsanto v. Durnell that federal pesticide law preempts state failure-to-warn claims — the legal theory behind most Roundup lawsuits. Attention now shifts to Bayer’s proposed $7.25 billion nationwide class settlement, which is moving through preliminary approval. Individuals diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after Roundup exposure should pay close attention to settlement deadlines.
Tavneos: FDA Withdrawal Hearing This Month
The FDA proposed withdrawing approval of Tavneos (avacopan) in April after linking the vasculitis drug to dozens of serious liver injury cases, and the agency’s public hearing is scheduled for this month. The drug’s pivotal clinical trial was retracted in June. Patients should not stop taking any prescribed medication without consulting their physician.
Depo-Provera: Science Rulings and a December Trial
In the Depo-Provera meningioma litigation (MDL 3140), Judge M. Casey Rodgers held Daubert hearings on the parties’ scientific experts in late June, with rulings expected in the coming weeks. The first bellwether trial is set for December 7, 2026. The docket has grown past 5,500 cases following the FDA’s December 2025 label change acknowledging the meningioma association.
Talcum Powder: Largest MDL Heads Toward Trial
With roughly 68,000 cases, the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder MDL is the largest in the country. A January ruling cleared plaintiffs’ experts to testify, putting the first federal ovarian cancer bellwether on track for late 2026 — following a $1.5 billion Baltimore mesothelioma verdict in December.
Also Moving
Paraquat: a confidential global settlement is being administered, with the settlement fund approved in March. Hair relaxer: expert challenges are due in November, with bellwether trials expected in 2027. NEC baby formula: a Chicago jury returned a multimillion-dollar verdict in April, and a key federal trial is expected mid-year. AFFF: the personal injury bellwether that was postponed last October has not yet been reset, while water-provider settlements exceeding $11 billion continue paying out. Bard PowerPort: after a partial defense verdict in May in which the jury hung on the design defect claim, five more bellwethers are scheduled through early 2027.
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