Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $5.5 billion to tie up remaining lawsuits that claim its talc products caused ovarian cancer. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge denied a $9 billion settlement proposed by company subsidiary Red River Talc last year that would have been one of the biggest mass tort settlements in history. Johnson & Johnson decided not to appeal that ruling and instead fight on in court. "The Court's order placed plaintiffs in an untenable position of having to present specific causation evidence to maintain their claims that does not exist," Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation, Johnson & Johnson, said in a prepared statement Monday. As part of the settlement proposed this week, Johnson & Johnson will make an initial payment of no more than $3 billion next year.