J&J Damages Cut By More Than Half In Talcum Powder Cancer Suit

(RTTNews) - A Missouri appeals court on Tuesday reduced a damages award against Johnson & Johnson to about $2.12 billion from $4.69 billion in a case brought by 22 women and their families who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson's asbestos-laden talcum powder products caused their ovarian cancer, according to reports.

The Missouri Court of Appeals reportedly awarded $500 million in actual damages and $1.62 billion in punitive damages, compared to the original verdict from a Missouri circuit court of $550 million of actual damages and $4.14 billion of punitive damages.

The company had appealed a July 2018 St. Louis jury verdict. The company has faced thousands of lawsuits over the safety of talc in its Baby Powder.

In May 2020, Johnson & Johnson said it would stop selling its talc-based Johnson's Baby Powder in the United States and Canada, as demand fell amid mounting consumers lawsuits that claimed the talc products caused cancer.

However, the company then stated that cornstarch-based baby powder would remain available in North America. Both talc-based and cornstarch-based baby powder would continue be available in other markets around the world.