In this photo illustration, a container of Johnson’s baby powder made by Johnson and Johnson sits on a table in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
A jury in Kentucky rejected claims that Johnson & Johnson‘s talc-based baby powder contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma, the company said in a statement, a win for J&J as it defends its iconic product.
J&J in a statement said the jury reached its decision in about 30 minutes after a two-week trial. The company said this is the sixth case it has won in the past year on allegations that its baby powder caused mesothelioma and all verdicts against J&J have been overturned on appeal.
“Today’s decision, and this trial track record, is consistent with the decades of clinical evidence and scientific studies by medical experts around the world that support the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder,” the company said in a statement.
J&J faces more than 14,000 lawsuits alleging its namesake baby powder caused mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. The company is aiming to dismiss roughly 11,000 of the ovarian cancer cases where pretrial proceedings have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation.
Concerns over J&J’s baby powder threaten the company’s family friendly image.
Shares of J&J have risen 1.6% this year. The stock closed up less than 1% on Friday. The S&P 500 health-care index has gained about 5.2% year to date.
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