A Johnson and Johnson talcum powder lawsuit has been filed by a woman who claims she suffered injury by using the powder from 1975 until her diagnosis in May 2010.

Plaintiff Nancy S. has filed a lawsuit as part of a multidistrict litigation against Johnson and Johnson regarding the company’s marketing of its talcum powder products. For many years, women were encouraged through advertising and marketing to use Johnson and Johnson talcum powder in their genital area.

Several studies over the years have found a plausible link between such use of talc-based powders and the development of ovarian cancer.

Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products that were advertised to women include both Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder.

Johnson’s Baby Powder was advertised as a “symbol of ‘freshness’ and ‘comfort,’ eliminating friction on the skin, absorbing ‘excess wetness’ to keep skin feeling dry and comfortable, and ‘clinically proven gentle and mild.’”

The Johnson and Johnson talcum powder lawsuit says that the baby powder was promoted to women with the words “For you, use every day to help feel soft, fresh, and comfortable.” Shower to Shower was marketed as a safe product for women to use. Promotional materials encouraged women to use it all over their bodies. The product was advertised as a way to reduce irritation after a bikini wax, which led women to believe it was safe to use in the genital area.

Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Genital Use Linked to Ovarian Cancer

As early as 1971, studies suggested a link between talc use and ovarian cancer. Dr. W.J. Henderson and his staff of Cardiff, Wales published the first study in the March 1971 issue of Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Commonwealth.

In 1982, Dr. Daniel Cramer and others conducted the first epidemiologic study on talc use in the perineal area. His study determined a 92 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer in women who used talc-based powder in their genital area.

Dr. Cramer reportedly was so alarmed by his findings that he visited Dr. Bruce Semple of Johnson and Johnson. Dr. Cramer said Johnson and Johnson talcum powder products should have a warning label regarding the increased risk of ovarian cancer, so that women could decide if the benefits were worth the risks. No such warning was added to the powder’s label.

Nearly 27 other studies completed since Dr. Cramer’s 1982 findings have been conducted regarding the link between talc use and an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

If you have used Johnson and Johnson talcum powder and subsequently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you could have grounds for legal recourse.

The Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-10655-FLW-LHG and is part of the Johnson and Johnson Talcum Powder MDL, MDL No. 2738 (FLW) (LHG) in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (Trenton).