Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million to a ovarian cancer patient: a blockbuster verdict by Jury

In a landmark decision, a jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $417m (£323m) to a woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer after using the company’s talc-based products such as Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene.

The verdict was given in favor of California resident Eva Echeverria,who claimed that she developed terminal cancer after decades of use of J&J’s products.

This is the largest payout yet with J&J facing thousands of lawsuits (4800) for failure to warn the consumer about cancer risk of its talc based products.

“We are grateful for the jury’s verdict on this matter and that Eva Echeverria was able to have her day in court,” said Mark Robinson, her lawyer, in a statement.

Her lawyers argued that the company continued to market and encourage women to use its talc based products, despite aware of its carcinogenic potential.

Earlier, a Missouri jury has awarded $72 million to the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer in October 2015.

Despite being named as baby powder, it is used by millions of adults in sensitive area to prevent  chafing or promote dryness.

In its natural form talc contains asbestos, a proven carcinogenic since decades.American Cancer Society states,” When talking about whether or not talcum powder is linked to cancer, it is important to distinguish between talc that contains asbestos and talc that is asbestos-free. Talc that has asbestos is generally accepted as being able to cause cancer if it is inhaled. This type of talc is not used in modern consumer products. The evidence about asbestos-free talc, which is still widely used, is less clear.”

It is postulated that if talc or a product containing talc is applied to your genital area in any way (whether it’s applied directly — what’s called perineal talc use —  or whether it makes its way there via pads, condoms, etc.), the powder particles might be able to travel from your vagina all the way up to your ovaries.

This may set off inflammation, which is believed to play an important role in etiology for ovarian cancer.

Many studies have looked into possible link between talc use and ovarian cancer, but the findings are equivocal. A 2003 meta-analysis of 16 studies (11,933 patients) found a link between talc use and ovarian cancer while a 2014 study of 61,576 women did not find the same link.

Meanwhile J&J said, “We will appeal today’s verdict because we are guided by the science, which supports the safety of Johnson’s baby powder.”

So, the bottom line is we still do not have sufficient evidence to prove causation. FDA states that, “There is not sufficient evidence to prove a possible connection.” However, after a flurry of recent lawsuits The U.S. FDA Office of Women's Health has agreed to fund a study investigating the possible link between cosmetic talc use and ovarian cancer.

A posting on the FDA's website notes that while women are commonly known to use products containing talc for hygiene and cosmetic purposes, talc's effects on the tissues that make up the female genital system have not been adequately investigated.

Till causation is proved, the consumers are advised to play it safe and can use talc free powders. A lot of companies make talc-free baby powder out of cornstarch, including Johnson & Johnson.