 "Johnson & Johnson")
A verdict in Missouri awarded $US5.4 million in compensatory damages to a woman in Virginia and said J & J was 99 per cent at fault as the woman developed cancer after four decades of daily use of talc-containing products produced by J & J, specifically the well-known Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder.
Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a St. Louis jury to pay more than $110 million to a Virginia woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the company’s talcum products. Imerys Talc America, which provided the talc to J&J, was ordered by the jury to pay about $100,000. Imerys Talc is a unit of Paris-based Imerys SA.
St. Louis plaintiff Lois Slemp, 62, said she used J&J’s baby powder for more than 40 years before her diagnosis with ovarian cancer in 2012. J&J sold its Shower to Shower brand in 2012.
"Once again we’ve shown that these companies ignored the scientific evidence and continue to deny their responsibilities to the women of America,” said Ted Meadows, one of Slemp’s attorneys. “They chose to put profits over people, spending millions in efforts to manipulate scientific and regulatory scrutiny."
Slemp's claim
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Slemp, whose cancer has since spread to her liver, also claims J&J talc was contaminated with asbestos (a clause Johnson and Johnson has categorically denied), a rare allegation in these cases.
The company faces trial in another talc claim in St. Louis city court next month, brought by the family of a former competitive figure skater who died of ovarian cancer. The trial after that is set for July in Los Angeles.
J&J didn’t warn women of studies linking talc to ovarian cancer to protect the company’s image, Allen Smith, Slemp’s attorney, told jurors.
Slemp, a retired nurse’s assistant, is undergoing chemotherapy and was too ill to attend the trial.
Johnson & Johnson's tragic reality
For millions of people who rely on Johnson & Johnson, this case reveals a tragic reality. The company has always showcased itself as one dedicated to childcare and women, but thousands of lawsuits have proved that J&J like any other pharmaceutical firm, is primarily a profit oriented company.
According to a report published in Bloomberg, there are more than 3,000 lawsuits accusing the pharma giant of ignoring studies linking its baby powder and Shower to Shower talc products to ovarian cancer and failing to warn customers about the risk.
J&J lost jury verdicts of $72 million, $55 million and $70 million last year, while winning the first trial in 2017. J&J, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is appealing the trial losses. A New Jersey state court judge last year threw out two talc cases set for trial, finding inadequate scientific support for the claims. That decision is also on appeal.
The cancer-causing chemical lurking in Your shower
A 2008 survey found that the chemical was in 46 percent of personal care products that were tested. The toxic substance - 1,4-dioxane - is used in a number of bath products including most pharmacy-stocked shower gels, lotions and even hand soaps.
Despite being identified as a carcinogen, companies are not required to list it on their product labels.
Chemical 1,4-dioxane is a clear liquid that easily dissolves in water. It is used primarily as a solvent in the manufacturing of chemicals and as a laboratory reagent (a substance used to cause a chemical reaction). The toxin is generated through a process called ethoxylation, in which ethylene oxide - a known breast carcinogen - is added to other chemicals to make them less harsh.
While the US FDA encourages manufacturers to remove 1,4-dioxane, it is not required by federal law.
Earlier this month, US Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called on the US FDA to ban it, saying it doesn't have a real purpose in cosmetics, according to Daily Mail.
'The fact that 1,4-dioxane, a potentially dangerous chemical, is hiding out in everyday products expected to make us clean is very disturbing, and to make matters worse, likely carcinogens like this one can be even more harmful to kids,' Schumer said in a statement.
A number of companies have agreed to stop using 1,4-dioxane including Johnson & Johnson, which reformulated its baby bath products in 2014.
Johnsons baby powder allegedly causes cancer. 110 Million USD awarded to the patient. https://t.co/0UCtrvYYWs via @SCMP_News
— GC (@gauravchoubey) May 5, 2017
In breaking news Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay US$72 million ($A100 million) to the… https://t.co/fUQ8B2OV7T
— Soulla Chamberlain (@staraniseorg) May 5, 2017
Is it safe to use FDA approved medication?
The FDA regulates medical devices to help ensure they are safe. Johnson & Johnson controversy, however, has driven home a pertinent point: How safe are US FDA approved drugs and cosmetics?
According to a report published by Boston Globe, "Critics worry faster FDA drug reviews could compromise safety".
