Plaintiff Clara H. has added her complaint to a talcum powder MDL filed against Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc America.

Clara was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in April 2002. She had reportedly used Johnson’s Baby Powder on her perineal area since 1980.

Imerys Talc mined, refined, screened, tested and delivered the talc contained in Johnson’s Baby Powder. The master complaint for the talcum powder MDL says, “At relevant times, Imerys Talc continually advertised and marketed talc as safe for human use, and knew that its processed talc was intended for human use.”

Johnson & Johnson allegedly “induced women through advertisements to dust themselves with this product to mask odors. The Johnson’s Baby Powder bottle specifically targets women, stating: ‘For you, use every day to help feel soft, fresh, and comfortable.’”

Talcum Powder MDL Cites Ovarian Cancer Studies

Dr. W.J. Henderson and his team of researchers were the first to report a link between talc and ovarian cancer in 1971.  They found talc particles inside 10 of 13 ovarian tumors.

Dr. Daniel Cramer and others conducted an epidemiologic study in 1982 and found a 92 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer in women who reported using talc-based powder in their genital area.

Dr. Cramer told Johnson & Johnson’s Dr. Bruce Semple that the company should place a warning on its talcum powder products regarding the increased risk of ovarian cancer, but nothing was done.

Since the publication of Dr. Cramer’s study, at least 37 other epidemiologic studies have determined there is an association between talc and ovarian cancer. In one case-control study in 1983, women who used talcum powder in the genital area showed a 150 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer.

In 1993, talc was found to be a carcinogen by the United States National Toxicology Program. Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc were the primary contributors and directors of the Talc Interested Party Task Force (TIPTF), which was formed to combat the bad press that talc was receiving and to prevent regulation of the talc industry.

The talc powder MDL says, “Imerys and Johnson & Johnson defendants wielded considerable influence on TIPTF. TIPTF hired scientists to perform biased research regarding the safety of talc.”

TIPTF members allegedly edited scientific reports before they were submitted to government agencies or to the public.

The talcum powder MDL says Johnson & Johnson and Imerys “knew of the adverse risks of using talc and talc based body powders in the perineal area and ovarian cancer and had a duty to warn about the potential hazards associated with the use of the products.”

The case addresses that cornstarch-based powders have sold with nearly the same effectiveness as talcum powders in absorbing moisture and odors. The talcum powder MDL sys “cornstarch is an organic carbohydrate that is quickly broken down by the body with no known adverse health effects.”

The Talcum Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-05349-FLW-LHG in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey. The Talcum Powder MDL is No. 16-2738.