An outside lawyer that has defended J&J in previous lawsuits stated that the company will continue to argue the safety of its talcum powder products in upcoming trials.
2016 has been a rough year for J&J so far, having lost two separate multimillion talcum powder cases in February and May. The defense blames these verdicts on confusion created by plaintiffs’ attorneys over the validity of several important talcum powder studies. The defense insists that there is no clear link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.
However, thousands of women who now suffer from ovarian cancer allegedly caused by talcum powder vehemently disagree. In 1999, the American Cancer Society advised women not to use talcum based baby powder, and instead use a cornstarch based powder. This statement was based off of studies that dated as far back as 1971.
The studies were convincing enough that in 1982, The New York Times wrote about the possible link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. It also suggested that J&J might have been aware of the risks.
Two more cases are scheduled to go to trial this Fall, and only time will tell if J&J will be able to successfully maintain that its talcum powder is safe for use in female hygiene.