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Jury awards $55 million to woman who claims Johnson & Johnson talcum powder caused cancer

A St. Louis jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a second huge award over claims that its talcum powder causes cancer. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu File)
 

ST. LOUIS — Johnson & Johnson has lost another costly lawsuit involving its talcum powder products.

A jury in St. Louis ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $55 million Monday to a South Dakota woman who claims the company's talcum powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

The jury returned the verdict in favor of  plaintiff Gloria Ristesund, who claims she used the company's talcum powder for over three decades and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011, according to CNN Money.

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It comes after a St. Louis jury in February awarded $72 million to the family of an Alabama woman over similar claims.  In that case, the woman, who had used the company's talcum powder for years, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died. Johnson & Johnson is appealing that decision.

The company could face dozens of other lawsuits stemming from its talcum powder products.

In a statement, Johnson & Johnson said it plans on appealing, citing multiple studies that talc is safe in cosmetic products. Talc is a mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen and hydrogen and is a common ingredient in makeup and personal hygiene products because of its ability to absorb moisture. According to Reuters, the scientific evidence that talc can cause cancer is inconclusive.