St. Louis jury awards $55 million in talcum powder lawsuit

ST. LOUIS — Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $55 million to a woman who claims its talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer, the second such judgment against the manufacturer in three months.

“Unfortunately, the jury’s decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc,” Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in a statement announcing the company’s plan to appeal.

“Instead of giving a warning, what they did was targeted the groups most at risk for developing ovarian cancer,” specifically marketing to overweight women, blacks and Hispanics, he said.

Whether people with long-term exposure to natural talc fibers are at higher risk of lung cancer; and whether women who apply talc regularly in the genital area have increased risk of ovarian cancer.