J&J Appeals $127 Million in Awards in Talc Cancer Cases -- WSJ

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 [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 04, 2016 02:49 ET (06:49 GMT)