Johnson & Johnson has recently been hit with hundreds of millions in verdicts over baby powder cancer lawsuits, totaling $200 million.

Attorneys have drawn links between this string of baby powder lawsuit victories with similar litigation regarding both tobacco and asbestos cancer claims.

The recent string of wins for baby powder cancer litigation involves three trials in Missouri, suggesting the possibility that hundreds or even thousands of similar cases against Johnson & Johnson may emerge.

However, a New Jersey judge blocked similar cases from making it to trial on the grounds that the scientific link between talc baby powder products and ovarian cancer was not strong enough for such claims.

These cases are now heading to appellate courts instead, though plaintiffs are appealing this dismissal.

The defendants involved in this litigation, both pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier, Imerys Talc America Inc., are preparing templates for dealing with potentially thousands of future baby powder cancer trials.

Plaintiffs attorney Elizabeth Cabraser noted that the comparisons between baby powder litigation and that of tobacco might be relatively apt.

“Talc is a widely used product, long-concealed and recently revealed as a health threat,” Cabraser said. “There is thus some analogy to tobacco there. The injuries are real, and the science may be developing in the direction of stronger causation. These first trial verdicts are early warning signs.”

Cabraser noted that one clear and significant difference is that, unlike tobacco, talc is not addictive. With talc baby powder products, consumers can stop using it and instead use safer alternatives, such as corn starch based powders.

The American Cancer Society’s website does list talc as a potential minor risk factor in ovarian cancer diagnosis, though it does note the lack of a clear link.

Baby Powder Basics

Baby powder is a product that can absorb moisture and prevent chaffing. Consumers most often use baby powder to prevent their young children from developing diaper rashes.

Baby powder is also often used by adults, commonly in shoes or between the legs as part of a feminine hygiene routine.

Baby powder can be based on two different formulations: corn starch and talc. It is talc-based powders, sometimes called talcum powder, that have been linked with a possible increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Allegations of a link between talc-based powders such as Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and ovarian cancer have been cause for extreme concern among the women who have used this product or others like it.

According to baby powder lawsuits, studies have shown a connection between talc based baby powders and ovarian cancer, including evidence of talc within some ovarian tumors.

Plaintiffs claim that this evidence should be cause for action, but Johnson & Johnson and other companies that produce talc-based baby powders have failed to give adequate warning about these dangers on their products.

Baby Powder Cancer Lawsuits

If you or someone you know has used Johnson’s Baby Powder or a similar powder product containing talc and have since been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you may be able to file a lawsuit like the one in this baby powder cancer trial.