A Los Angeles jury has ordered the American pharmaceutical corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died of internal cancer in 2021. The disease is believed to have been caused by J&J's talc-based products, CNN reports, citing lawyers who participated in the hearing.
„We hope that Johnson & Johnson will finally take responsibility for these senseless deaths“, said attorney Trey Branham, representing the deceased's family.
J&J's Vice President of Legal Affairs, Eric Haas, called the court's decision unconstitutional and said the company would immediately appeal it.
In 2022, it was reported that Johnson & Johnson would stop selling its talc-based baby powder globally starting in 2023. The company called this a “business decision“ made for the purpose of long-term growth. Previously, foreign media reported that since 2014, J&J had been facing lawsuits from consumers who claimed that long-term use of the company's talc-based products caused cancer. In the lawsuits, the company is accused of concealing and downplaying the health risks of its products, as well as of disgruntled consumers. demanded compensation.