Last month, the Journal of Clinical Oncology released a major study from the researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) exploring the connection between genital use of talcum powder and developing ovarian cancer. The NIH used data from The Sister Study to support its findings, which observed the medical history of over 50,000 middle-aged women from 2003-2019.
The Sister Study’s research concluded with a very interesting result. Using talcum powder as a form of feminine hygiene was associated with at least a 17% increased risk in developing ovarian cancer, even when researchers adjusted their findings to account for errors. In certain cases, the risk for developing ovarian cancer after using talcum powder for hygiene purposes went up to 234%.
Notably, the study found no connection between talcum powder use and an increased risk of uterine or breast cancer. However, NIH researchers did identify an association between vaginal douching and developing ovarian cancer.
What does this study mean for the talcum powder lawsuit?
In 2023, Johnson & Johnson disrupted the proceedings of the talcum powder lawsuit by attempting to file for bankruptcy multiple times. Fortunately, this new study should help put the lawsuit back on track and give plaintiffs another angle to find J&J liable for failing to warn its customers about the dangers of its talcum powder products. The next talcum powder trial is scheduled to begin from a federal New Jersey courtroom in December 2024.
Last month, J&J offered to pay $6.475 billion to settle all U.S. ovarian cancer claims at once. However, this new proposal would award claimants with $425 million less than the original $6.9 billion settlement J&J planned to offer ovarian cancer victims back in January, making the offer ring hollow for many plaintiffs and lawyers.
Agreeing to the proposal
The future of the talcum powder lawsuit will depend on the outcome of the December trial and how many plaintiffs agree to the $6.475 billion proposal. J&J needs at least 75% of plaintiffs in the lawsuit to agree to the proposal in order for the settlement to be approved, and participants have 90 days to accept or decline the offer.
As plaintiffs decide whether they will accept or decline the proposal, the NIH’s study will almost certainly play a significant role in strengthening their cases against J&J. Now that a new study linking talcum powder exposure to ovarian cancer has been published, claimants may be less likely to accept the $6.475 billion proposal in pursuit of a larger settlement. The plaintiffs’ decision will be crucial in determining the outcome of the December trial and the fate of the talcum powder lawsuit going forward. If the proposal succeeds later this summer, then women and families will no longer have a possible course of action to sue J&J for the harm they’ve suffered because of the company’s talcum powder products.
But for now, there’s still time left to file a claim against Johnson & Johnson to fight for the compensation you deserve. If you or an immediate family member used J&J’s baby powder and developed ovarian cancer in 2014 or later, see if you qualify to receive a settlement.
