Lawyers investigate claims from consumers who believe they contracted ovarian cancer from talcum powder.

Plaintiff Sharon W. claims that she, like many other consumers, contracted ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder for intimate hygiene for many years. According to Sharon, Johnson & Johnson willfully concealed information that talc, the main ingredient in Johnson’s Baby Powder, causes ovarian cancer.

Sharon states that she used Johnson & Johnson baby powder on her genital area between 1959 and 2008. She claims that this is a common use, one consistent with the advertised uses of the product. She states that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017, and that her diagnosis was a result of her extended use of Baby Powder.

According to the carcinogenic baby powder class action lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson has long advertised its baby powder via images of “cleanliness and purity,” and claims that the company “instructed women through advertisements to dust themselves with this product to mask odors,” and to use the product on a regular basis.

To support this statement, the ovarian cancer from talcum powder lawsuit cites the label on the Baby Powder, which reads “for you, use every day to help feel soft, fresh, and comfortable.”

Sharon claims that Johnson & Johnson advertises this product despite significant knowledge that talcum powder has been linked to the development of ovarian cancer. She goes on to note that the first study linking talc powder with ovarian cancer was published in 1971, and that since then, numerous subsequent studies have been published that suggest that people can develop ovarian cancer from talcum powder use.

Hiding Talc’s Dangers

As support for its argument that Johnson & Johnson intentionally concealed information about talc’s carcinogenic nature from consumers and mislead consumers into thinking that Baby Powder was safe for daily, intimate use, the ovarian cancer from talcum powder lawsuit points to Johnson & Johnson’s involvement in the Talc Interested Party Task Force.

The Baby Powder lawsuit states that the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) formed the Talc Interested Party Task Force (TIPTF) in 1993 to combat the damage done to talc’s commercial reputation after the United States National Toxicology Program published a study that showed that non-asbestiform talc caused cancer.

Allegedly, Johnson & Johnson was a member of the TIPTF, an organization whose supposed mission was to “pool financial resources … in an effort to collectively defend and to prevent regulation of any type over the industry.” These efforts allegedly included hiring researchers to conduct biased research into the safety of talc, and doctoring other research into talc, and releasing false information to the public about talc’s safety, and asserting political and economic pressure on governing bodies to reduce regulations on talc.

Sharon claims Johnson & Johnson continued to market talc-based Baby Powder to the public despite extensive research of its dangers as well as ignoring direct pressure from industry experts to cease their sale of the product.

Additionally, Sharon says Johnson & Johnson continued to use talc powder in their Baby Powder despite the availability of safe alternative ingredients, including corn starch.

Currently, lawyers are investigating numerous claims into the development of ovarian cancer from talcum powder use. If you or a loved one contracted ovarian cancer after using talcum powder, you may have a legal claim.

The Ovarian Cancer From Talcum Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-01909, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.