J&J to appeal after record $1.5b talc cancer verdict
Johnson & Johnson said it will appeal after a US jury awarded more than $1.5 billion to a woman who said long-term use of the company’s talc-based baby powder caused a rare form of cancer.
A jury in Baltimore, Maryland, found J&J, two subsidiaries, and spinoff Kenvue liable for failing to warn that its talc products allegedly contained asbestos. The plaintiff, Cherie Craft, was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in January 2024, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The verdict includes $59.8 million in compensatory damages and $1.5 billion in punitive damages, marking the largest-ever award against J&J for a single plaintiff, according to the plaintiff’s lawyers.
Johnson & Johnson called the ruling “egregious” and “unconstitutional,” saying it would immediately appeal. The company insists its talc products are safe and do not contain asbestos, arguing the claims rely on “junk science.”
The case adds to mounting legal pressure on J&J, which faces more than 67,000 lawsuits linked to alleged cancer risks from talc products. The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020 and worldwide in 2023, switching to cornstarch alternatives.
Despite several large jury awards, many talc verdicts have been reduced or overturned on appeal, and J&J has set aside billions of dollars to cover ongoing litigation.
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