A woman is filing a Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuit against the American multinational medical devices and pharmaceutical manufacturing company alleging that she developed ovarian cancer as a direct result of using the company’s talc-based baby powder product.

Plaintiff Veronica E. filed the Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit was filed on March 29, 2018.

According to the Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuit, Veronica is a resident and citizen of the state of Michigan. She alleges that she used Johnson’s Baby Powder product in the perineal area for feminine hygiene purposes between approximately January 1999 until 2009.

However, in January of 2011 she alleges was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. At the time, she was fifty years old.

According to the Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuit, she suffered damages and injuries and seeks judgement against the company for the following: impairment to ovaries and reproductive system; pain and suffering; medical expenses; mental anguish, anxiety, and discomfort; lost wages and income; physical impairment; and physical disfigurement.

The Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including violation of the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, negligence, defective manufacture and design, failure to warn, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, fraudulent concealment, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, civil conspiracy, punitive damages.

Overview: Johnson & Johnson Talc Lawsuit

A number of women have filed lawsuits against J&J purporting that the company’s baby powder product causes adverse side effects, including development of ovarian cancer.

Patients accuse J&J of having known that the company’s baby powder, and its main ingredient, talc, causes adverse side effects, while continuing to sell and market the product to the public.

According to the American Cancer Society, talcum powder is composed of talc, a mineral made up of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. Because of its ability to absorb mineral, prevent skin rashes, and reduce friction, it has had a variety of applications particularly within part of the cosmetic product industry.

However, talcum powder has been discovered to cause ovarian cancer among other adverse side effects. In fact, since 1971, there have been more than 20 studies linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer. In 2003, a meta-analysis comprised of 16 studies found that in women using talcum powder there was a 33 percent increase for the development of ovarian cancer.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Trade Organization (WHO), they classified talc as “carcinogenic to humans.” Any substance that helps aide in the development of cancer or a substance that causes cancer is known as a “carcinogen.”

The American Cancer Society has also confirmed that “[i]t has been suggested that talcum powder might cause cancer in the ovaries if the powder particles (applied to the genital area or on sanitary napkins, diaphrams, or condoms) were to travel through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary.”

The Johnson & Johnson Talc Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-00720, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.