A new Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuitaccuses the company of failing to warn about a risk of ovarian cancer associated with its talc-based products.

Plaintiff Heather C. says she used the defendant’s products Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower on her perineum for most of her adult life.

In 2014, at age 45, Heather was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Heather believes her ovarian cancer was caused by the talc in Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. She alleges defendant J&J knew about the link between talc and cancer but failed in its duty to alert the public about that risk.

If J&J had issued a proper warning about the risk of ovarian cancer linked to its talc powders, Heather says, she would have avoided increasing her risk of cancer by not using those products.

Other defendants in this claim include talc supplier Imerys Talc America Inc. and trade association Personal Care Products Council.

Heather alleges these organizations, all of whom have a stake in the profitability of talc-based cosmetics, conspired to withhold vital safety information from the public about the link between talc powder and ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson Talc Powder Lawsuit Cites Ovarian Cancer Studies

While the scientific evidence hasn’t always been consistent, plaintiffs in talc powder lawsuits report studies from as far back as the early 1970s that suggest a link between use of talc powder near the genital area and the later development of ovarian cancer.

In 1971, British researchers found talc particles embedded in tissue samples from ovarian tumors.

Then in 1982, researchers published the first epidemiologic study to focus specifically on perineal talc powder use. According to that study, women who reported genital talc use had a 92 percent greater risk of developing ovarian cancer.

The lead researcher of that study advised a J&J representative to add a warning about the risk of ovarian cancer to the label for J&J talc products.

Since that study, there have been nearly two dozen other epidemiologic studies of genital talc powder use. According to Heather’s Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit, almost all of these studies have found an increased risk of ovarian cancer for women who report genital talc powder use.

Despite the availability of that scientific evidence, Heather says the defendants failed to warn about the associated danger. In fact, she claims, J&J aggressively promoted its talc-based powders as generally safe to use and actively encouraged women to use it in their genital area.

This Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit includes claims for failure to warn, defective manufacture and design, violation of state products liability acts, and breaches of warranty. Heather also includes claims against all defendants for civil conspiracy and acting in concert.

Heather’s husband William is bringing a claim for loss of consortium. Loss of consortium is a type of claim that a spouse can bring to seek compensation for the harm done to the couple’s marital relationship.

Heather’s Johnson & Johnson Talc Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-08699 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.