Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A Californian jury has delivered a significant setback to Johnson & Johnson, ordering the pharmaceutical giant to pay $40 million in damages to two women who claimed the company’s talc-based baby powder caused their ovarian cancer. The verdict marks one of the latest courtroom defeats for J&J, which faces tens of thousands of lawsuits over the safety of its talc products.
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The jury in Los Angeles found that Johnson & Johnson had known for decades that its talc-based products could pose serious health risks but had failed to adequately warn consumers. The plaintiffs, Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz, both residents of California, told the court they used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder almost daily for nearly 40 years, mainly after bathing.
Kent was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, while Schultz received the same diagnosis in 2018. Both women testified that their treatment involved major surgeries and numerous rounds of chemotherapy, significantly affecting their quality of life. The jury awarded $18 million to Kent and $22 million to Schultz and her husband.
During closing arguments, the women’s lawyer alleged that Johnson & Johnson possessed internal evidence dating back to the 1960s indicating a link between talc and cancer. The lawyer told jurors that the company intentionally concealed these findings to protect its flagship consumer products. “They knew, and they did everything they could to hide the truth,” the lawyer argued.
Johnson & Johnson has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement after the verdict, the company announced it plans to appeal immediately, maintaining that its talc products are safe and do not cause cancer. J&J also contends that no major US health authority has concluded there is a definitive link between cosmetic talc use and ovarian cancer. Company lawyers told the court that the only parties linking the women’s cancers to talc were their lawyers, not medical regulators or conclusive scientific studies.
The verdict comes amid a broader legal battle that has engaged Johnson & Johnson for years. According to court documents, more than 67,000 lawsuits are currently pending against the company from plaintiffs claiming they developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using talc-based products. While J&J ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, opting instead for a cornstarch formulation, litigation over past use continues.
Johnson & Johnson has previously attempted to resolve the lawsuits via bankruptcy proceedings, a strategy that has been rejected multiple times by federal courts. Legal experts suggest that the latest verdict could increase pressure on the company to pursue a comprehensive settlement, even as it continues to contest individual cases.
With thousands of claims still unresolved, the talc litigation remains one of the largest and most consequential corporate legal battles in UK history.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
