J&J Appeals $127 Million in Awards in Talc Cancer Cases -- WSJ
May 04 2016 - 03:04AM
Dow Jones News
By Jonathan D. Rockoff
Johnson & Johnson is appealing two recent jury verdicts
awarding a total of $127 million to women who blame their ovarian
cancer on talc in the company's iconic baby powder.
The monetary awards have raised the specter that women's use of
talcum powder may be to blame for some cases of ovarian cancer,
though research into a possible link has returned mixed results and
those studies finding a link showed only a slightly higher risk of
the cancer.
"Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of
studies by medical experts around the world that continue to
support the safety of cosmetic talc," J&J said in a statement,
responding to the latest verdict on Monday.
In that case, a jury in St. Louis awarded $55 million to Gloria
Ristesund, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011. In the
same court in February, a jury awarded $72 million to the family of
Jacqueline Fox, an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer.
Another jury, considering a talc lawsuit in a South Dakota
federal court, decided in 2013 that J&J was negligent but
didn't award damages.
For the company, the threats posed by the personal-injury
lawsuits come as J&J is trying to move past government
investigations into off-label prescription-drug marketing,
liability litigation over faulty hip and knee parts, and recalls of
consumer products including children's Tylenol.
The various matters have cost J&J billions of dollars in
lost sales and legal settlements.
The New Brunswick, N.J.-based company says it faces 1,400
lawsuits involving Johnson's Baby Powder. The lawsuits allege that
talc in the powder caused ovarian cancer in women, and the company
failed to warn customers about the risks.
Mark Lanier, a Houston lawyer who is representing some of the
plaintiffs, said company documents dating to the 1970s show J&J
was concerned about an association between talcum powder and
ovarian cancer.
"If J&J believed it might cause cancer, then J&J had an
absolute moral obligation to warn people," Mr. Lanier said.
J&J said it acted appropriately. "Multiple scientific and
regulatory reviews have determined that talc is safe for use in
cosmetic products and the labeling on Johnson's Baby Powder is
appropriate," the company said.
The American Cancer Society said on its website that research
into a potential link between women's use of talcum powder in the
genital area and cancer of the ovary has been "mixed, with some
studies reporting a slightly increased risk and some reporting no
increase."
Write to Jonathan D. Rockoff at Jonathan.Rockoff@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 04, 2016 02:49 ET (06:49 GMT)
Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024
Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024