Judge Overturns Verdict In J&J Baby Powder Verdict

(RTTNews) - A federal judge has reversed a record $417 million jury verdict against health giant Johnson & Johnson.

The judge ruled in favor of the pharma company overturning the hefty financial verdict awarded to plaintiffs who claimed that the company's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder products caused ovarian cancer.

In the case, Eva Echeverria had testified that she had been using talcum powder to improve her feminine hygiene for more than 50 years. She developed ovarian cancer and stopped using the powder in 2016, after she read a news story about another woman who used it and had ovarian cancer.

The jury verdict was the largest award yet in a string of lawsuits alleging J&J failed to adequately warn customers about the risks of cancer by using its talc-based products. However, the evidence around any link between talc use and cancer is inconclusive.

The verdict included $70 million in compensatory damages and $347 million in punitive damages.

J&J faces 4,800 similar cases nationally filed by women who alleges that they have developed cancer due to using the firm's products to address concerns about vaginal odor and moisture. The company has been hit with over $300 million in penalties in cases lost in Missouri.

Last week, Johnson & Johnson had won a case that reversed a $72 million verdict in a similar case.