St. Louis Jury Awards $55M in Johnson And Johnson Cancer Suit

For the second time in three months, a St. Louis jury has ordered Johnson and 

Johnson to pay a huge award over claims that its talcum powder causes cancer.

The jury deliberated eight hours Monday before ordering the company to 

pay $55 million to a South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on 

years of talcum powder use.

In February, another St. Louis jury awarded $72 million to the family of an 

Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer, which she said was caused by

 using Johnson and Johnson's baby powder and other talcum products.

New Jersey-based Johnson and Johnson will appeal the latest ruling.

"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," 

Johnson and Johnson spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in a statement.

"For over 100 years, Johnson and Johnson has provided consumers with a safe

 choice for cosmetic powder products and we will continue to work hard to 

exceed consumer expectations and evolving product preferences."

But Jim Onder, attorney for the plaintiff, Gloria Ristesund, said researchers 

began linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer in the 1970s, and that internal

 Johnson and Johnson documents show the company was aware of those studies.

"The evidence is real clear that Johnson and Johnson has known about the 

dangers associated with talcum powder for over 30 years," Onder said. "Instead 

of giving a warning, what they did was targeted the groups most at risk for 

developing ovarian cancer," specifically marketing to overweight women, blacks 

and Hispanics, he said.

A spokeswoman for Onder said Ristesund declined comment.

Talc is naturally occurring, mined from the soil and composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. It's widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, 

such as talcum powder, to absorb moisture, prevent caking and improve the 

product's feel.

The American Cancer Society says most concerns about a link between talcum

 powder and cancer focus on two areas: Whether people with long-term exposure

 to natural talc fibers at work, such as talc miners, are at higher risk of lung

 cancer; and whether women who apply talc regularly in the genital area have 

increased risk of ovarian cancer.

The society, on its website, cites the International Agency for Research on 

Cancer, which classifies genital use of talc-based body powder as "possibly

 carcinogenic to humans."

In February, a St. Louis jury awarded $72 million to the family of Jackie Fox of 

Birmingham, Alabama. Her son took over as plaintiff after his mother death in 

October at 

age 62. She had used the talcum powder for decades.

Johnson & Johnson faces at least 1,200 still-pending talcum powder lawsuits, 

including about 1,000 in St. Louis and 200 in New Jersey, Onder said.

Johnson & Johnson previously has been targeted by health and consumer groups 

over possibly harmful ingredients in items including its iconic Johnson's No More 

Tears baby shampoo.

In May 2009, a coalition of groups called the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics began 

pushing Johnson and Johnson to eliminate questionable ingredients from

 its baby and adult personal care products. After three years of petitions, 

publicity and a boycott threat, the company agreed in 2012 to eliminate the 

ingredients 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, both considered probable human 

carcinogens, from all products by 2015.

culled - MSN