What is the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cancer case, how much do they have to pay and what has h
OFTEN associated with kid's bath times and your grandparent's cabinet, talcum powder has been a household staple for generations.
But recent lawsuits have seen people being awarded millions in damages after claiming talcum powder gave them cancer. Here's the latest on the situation.
What is the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cancer case?
In July 2018 22 women were awarded a record £3.6billion payout from Johnson & Johnson.
They told a jury in the US state of Mississippi that talcum powder led them to develop ovarian cancer.
Their lawyers alleged the company knew its talc was contaminated with asbestos.
J&J said it was "deeply disappointed" and will appeal the verdict.
The company added: "Every verdict against Johnson & Johnson in this court that has gone through the appeals process has been reversed and the multiple errors present in this trial were worse than those in the prior trials which have been reversed."
What happened to Johnson & Johnson's share price?
J&J's share price took a hit after the record damages verdict.
It dropped from 127.45 to 124.65 in mid-July.
Then in mid-December the shares took an event bigger hit after Reuters published a report that the company knew for a decade about small amounts of asbestos in some baby powder.
CNBC reported a 9 per cent drop in share value on the news, ending on around 133.92.
What is talcum powder made of?
Talcum powder is made from talc, which is a clay mineral composed of silicon, magnesium and oxygen.
People have taken advantage of its soft and absorbent properties since the time of the ancient Egyptians.
In talc’s most natural form, it contains asbestos, which is known to cause cancer in the lungs when inhaled, but all talcum products in the US have been asbestos-free since the 1970s.
Now talc is used for a variety of reasons: as a baby powder, in chewing gum and sweets, and even in olive oil.
What are the other Johnson & Johnson cancer lawsuits?
In August 2017, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay more than £323million to a woman who said she got ovarian cancer from using its baby powder.
The award in California was the then the highest in a string of US lawsuits brought by women claiming the company did not warn them about supposed cancer risks.
Eva Echeverria, 63, said she began using the powder when she was 11.
She was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago and her lawyers said it is terminal.
Johnson & Johnson has said that it will appeal the award as it has in other cases.
More than £85million was awarded to another woman who says she got cancer from using the company's products.
A jury in St Louis, Missouri, awarded the sum to Lois Slemp, 62, of Wise, Virginia.
Slemp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, blames her illness on her four-decade-long use of the talcum powder.
The disease spread to her liver and she was too ill to attend the trial.
Johnson & Johnson said it would appeal and disputed the scientific evidence behind Slemp’s claims.
A statement from the company said: “We are preparing for additional trials this year and we will continue to defend the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder.”
In a similar case, ovarian cancer sufferer Deborah Giannecchini of Modesto, California, was awarded more than £58million after she claimed Johnson’s baby power made her ill.
Johnson & Johnson has always refuted the claim that its talcum powder is unsafe.
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What is baby powder used for?
Baby powder is used to help absorb moisture on the skin and to prevent odours when it is used as deodorant.
It can also be used to prevent friction and to protect against rashes.
Baby powder can also be used as a cleaning agent and as shampoo.
Does talcum powder cause cancer?
Some studies have found that women who regularly use talc on their genital area face up to a 40 per cent higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Other research however has shown either no link or a weak link between cancer the product and most major health groups have declared talc harmless.
But the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies genital use of talc as “possibly carcinogenic”.
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