The baby powder litigation has been heating up recently for Johnson & Johnson (J&J) as the company approaches upcoming trials. In an effort to relieve the stress of the lawsuits, the company asked a judge for a stay in the proceeding of a Georgia case, but a judge denied the request in part.

Plaintiffs Cammy and Michael Marchetti have been battling the healthcare giant for a couple of years now. Mrs. Marchetti used J&J’s baby powder products on her groin for more than twenty years before she was diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer. Mrs. Marchetti’s cancer spread to other parts of her body and her doctors have given her a terminal diagnosis.

But Mrs. Marchetti’s struggle will not be forgotten. A Georgia federal court denied the stay in taking Mrs. Marchetti’s deposition, and asked that her deposition be taken as soon as possible to preserve her testimony.

Mr. and Mrs. Marchetti’s story is among thousands of others trying to hold the company responsible for the dangerous side effects of its talcum powder products. There are currently more than 1,200 lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson, including nearly 200 in the state of New Jersey.

The link between the talc in baby powder and ovarian cancer has been known for decades, but despite this, J&J has refused to remove talc from its products or provide a warning label for consumers. The company maintains its products are safe, but there are more than 20 epidemiological studies illustrating the link between talc and ovarian cancer.

J&J has so far been unsuccessful convincing juries of its innocence. There have been three baby powder trials so far – all three have found the company grossly negligent and two awarded the victims millions in damages. The next baby powder trial is scheduled to begin this September with another trial set to start at the end of October.