Baron & Budd Investigating Potential Lawsuits Against Johnson & Johnson Regarding Link Between Talcum Powder and Ovarian Cancer

Seemingly Benign Product Could Lead to Severe Health Complications

DALLAS (Feb. 29, 2016) – The national law firm of Baron & Budd is investigating potential legal action against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson for a possible link between its talcum-based products and ovarian cancer. A Missouri jury recently awarded the family of a woman who died of the disease $72 million, and more than 1,000 other suits are pending against the company.

Plaintiffs in the cases are claiming that Johnson & Johnson failed for decades to warn consumers that talc-based products such as Shower to Shower and baby powder posed a risk for ovarian cancer. On Feb. 25, 2016, Reuters reported that there is a concern that women who use talcum powder on their genitals are at a higher risk for developing the disease. Many women spread talcum powder in the genital areas to help eliminate vaginal odors and keep the area comfortable and cool.

An epidemiologist at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis who is quoted in the article stated that inflammation increases the risk of a woman developing the disease, and it is known that talcum powder increases inflammation. The Reuters article also reported that a Harvard University doctor who testified in the Missouri trial has published several studies since 1982 linking talc-based products and ovarian cancer. According to the doctor, exposure to talc can increase a woman’s risk of developing the disease by as much as 30 percent.

Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified talc-based baby power as a possible human carcinogen.

Plaintiffs are claiming that Johnson & Johnson should have warned consumers about the potential risks of talc-based products. The company sold the Shower to Shower brand to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., which is not a defendant in any of the cases.

“It is extremely disturbing that such seemingly benign products could be linked to a devastating disease,” said Russell Budd, president and managing shareholder of the national law firm of Baron & Budd. “We will thoroughly investigate this matter and make sure the rights of anyone harmed by talc-based products are protected.”

ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C.

The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin and Los Angeles, is a nationally recognized law firm with a nearly 40-year history of "Protecting What’s Right" for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd’s size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals and government and business entities in areas as diverse as dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices, environmental contamination, the Gulf oil spill, financial fraud, overtime violations, deceptive advertising, automotive defects, trucking accidents, nursing home abuse, and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma.