Key insights
- A Los Angeles jury ruled in favor of Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit alleging talc products caused ovarian cancer. This verdict, while one of several wins for J&J, comes amidst over 67,000 pending lawsuits. The company has stopped selling talc-based powder in the US and settled many asbestos-related cases. The outcome of these ongoing legal battles could impact J&J's financial performance and investor sentiment, but this single verdict has limited immediate forward-looking influence on the broader US equity market.
By Dietrich Knauth
NEW YORK, June 5 (Reuters) - A Los Angeles jury on Friday sided with Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit by the families of three women who alleged that the company’s talc products caused ovarian cancer, finding that J&J was not negligent when selling cosmetic talc products.
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The lawsuit was filed by the families of Mary Owens, Bonnie Tienken and Geneva Williams, who each died of ovarian cancer after using talc-based baby powder.
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More than 67,000 plaintiffs have sued J&J, alleging that its baby powder and other talc products cause ovarian cancer.
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J&J has won some cases outright, including an Oklahoma trial last week, but juries have awarded large verdicts for plaintiffs in other cases.
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J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product.
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The case was based on "junk science," said Erik Haas, J&J’s vice president of litigation.
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The verdict is "disappointing," said lawyer Ari Friedman, who represented one of the plaintiffs.
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J&J has settled a majority of cases alleging that its products caused mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer associated with asbestos.
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Nearly all of the remaining cases allege that talc products cause ovarian cancer.
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