Johnson & Johnson talc causes ovarian cancer? U.S. jury asks company to pay $55 million

Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a U.S. jury on Monday to pay $55 million to a woman who said that using the company’s talc-powder products for feminine hygiene caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

The verdict, which J&J plans to appeal, was the second straight trial loss for the company, which is facing about 1,200 lawsuits accusing it of not adequately warning consumers about its talc-based products` cancer risks. 

Following a three-week trial in Missouri state court, jurors deliberated for about a day before returning a verdict for Gloria Ristesund. She was awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages. 

J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said the verdict contradicted 30 years of research supporting the safety of cosmetic talc. The company intends to appeal and will keep defending its products` safety, she said.

Ristesund said she used J&J’s talc-based powder products – which include the well-known Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder – on her genitals for decades. According to her lawyers, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to undergo a hysterectomy and related surgeries. Her cancer is now in remission.

Jere Beasley, whose firm represents Ristesund, said his client was gratified with the verdict. The jury`s decision should "end the litigation" and compel J&J to settle the remaining cases, he said.

J&J shares were down 18 cents in after-hours trading to $112.57.

The verdict followed a $72 million jury award from the same court in February to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after years of using talc powder for feminine hygiene.

That verdict, which J&J is appealing, sparked renewed interest in talc-powder lawsuits among plaintiffs` lawyers, as well as consumers familiar with J&J`s powder products. But scientists have told Reuters the evidence of a real danger is inconclusive.

Plaintiffs in talc litigation, which is concentrated in Missouri and New Jersey state courts, have accused J&J of failing for years to warn that talc was linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer. J&J has said it acted properly in developing and marketing the products. 

The only other case to be tried involving talc powder and ovarian cancer resulted in a mixed verdict in South Dakota federal court in 2013. While those jurors found J&J was negligent, they awarded no damages to the plaintiff, whose cancer was in remission at the time of the trial. 

Reuters viewed the proceedings on Courtroom View Network.