The Supreme Court turned down an appeal by Johnson & Johnson to void a $2 billion judgment for women who claimed the company\u2019s talc-based products caused ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
The move came in an unsigned order and leaves intact a Missouri state court verdict against the multinational giant. Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh took no part in the consideration of the petition.<\/p>\n
Background:\u00a0<\/strong>The hefty verdict was the culmination of numerous U.S. lawsuits brought by women who claimed that Johnson & Johnson products contained asbestos and other carcinogens and that the company ignored the health risks.<\/p>\n The initial verdict was for $4.7 billion, but a Missouri appellate court dropped two women from the suit, leaving 20 plaintiffs, and lowering the award to just over $2 billion.<\/p>\n Johnson & Johnson in May 2020 stopped using talc in its baby powder, but the company disputes that its products caused cancer. The company appealed to the Supreme Court in March.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong>\u00a0In 2019, Johnson & Johnson\u00a0recalled 33,000 bottles<\/a>\u00a0of baby powder after the FDA found trace amounts of asbestos in a bottle.<\/p>\n