J&J to pay $2B to women who say its talc powder caused their cancer

A Missouri appeals court ordered Johnson & Johnson June 23 to pay $2.1 billion in damages to women who claimed its talc baby powder caused their ovarian cancer, The New York Times reported. 

The original decision, made in July 2018, ordered J&J to pay $4.69 billion in compensatory and punitive damages. 

The drugmaker still faces thousands of lawsuits from consumers who claim its talc baby powder is contaminated with asbestos that causes cancer. 

J&J said in May that it would stop selling the talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada. 

A J&J spokesperson told the Times that the company will seek further review of the Missouri court's ruling. 

"We continue to believe this was a fundamentally flawed trial, grounded in a faulty presentation of the facts. We remain confident that our talc is safe, asbestos-free and does not cause cancer," the spokesperson said. 

The Missouri court said the plaintiffs "showed clear and convincing evidence defendants engaged in conduct that was outrageous because of evil motive or reckless indifference," the Times reported. 

The court awarded $500 million in actual damages and $1.62 billion in punitive damages. 

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