J&J's 8th Win Over Talc-Cancer Trial

J&J's 8th Win Over Talc-Cancer Trial

Introduction

On Friday, Jurors in state court in St. Louis favored Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over a lawsuit brought by a woman alleging that the company’s talcum-based baby powder caused her ovarian cancer.

According to the court memorandum, the 56-year-old, a registered nurse, claimed that the use of baby powder as part of her feminine hygiene routine for more than 30 years was the reason for her cancer, which was diagnosed in 2012. She further alleged that the product contained asbestos-tainted talc, and the company failed to warn about its health risks.

The verdict is  J&J’s first win in the St. Louis courts since last year and eighth victory in talc-cancer cases this year. The company also won a similar case in California on Monday, last week, making this its fourth win since October. In 2016, the company lost three of the first four cases tried in St. Louis courts, all of which were overturned on appeal.

Johnson's Baby Powder, one of the most popular products containing talcum powder, is linked to increasing a woman's risk of ovarian cancer if she uses it regularly in the genital area. In a few cases, the cancer tissue was studied using an electron microscope and was found to have talc in it, which supported the claim that the cancer was caused by the body powder and increases the talc-related cancer risk.

Nearly 14,000 Talcum Powder and Shower-to-Shower lawsuits are consolidated under multidistrict litigation MDL No. 2738; In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation. Lawsuits are also pending in a coordinated California proceeding under Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding No. 4877.