Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $2.1 million after talc powder caused ovarian cancer

A US court on June 23 ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $2.1 billion in damages to customers who had suffered ovarian cancer after using its talcum powder that contained asbestos. Johnson & Johnson had appeared in the Missouri court after a jury ordered the pharmaceutical giant to pay $4.2 billion in damages. The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the jury's decision but cut the compensation amount by half from $4.2 billion to $2.1 billion and also excluded some of the plaintiffs because they were not the resident of the state. 

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According to reports, Johnson & Johnson will appeal the latest decision by the Missouri Court of Appeals in the Supreme Court of Missouri. Many lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson seeking damages have been filed across the United States in the past four years with consumers accusing the company of not warning them about the risk of cancer from asbestos in its talc-based products. According to reports, Johnson & Johnson in 2017 was asked by a California jury to pay $417 million to a woman who alleged that she developed ovarian cancer after using the company's talc-based baby powder, which is mostly used by adults. 

Read: Johnson & Johnson To Stop Talc Baby Powder Sale In US, Canada After Multiple Lawsuits

JNJ stops powder sale in US & Canada

Johnson & Johnson in 2020 announced that it will discontinue the talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada, citing low demand. The company, however, added that it will continue to sell the powder in other markets, outside North America. The company in a statement said that the retail inventory will remain in the market until it sells out. The pharmaceutical giant further added that it will continue to sell its cornstarch-based baby powder in the United States and Canada. 

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(Image Credit: AP)