Johnson & Johnson says products are safe following cancer death verdict
Johnson & Johnson in South Africa says it strongly disagrees with the decision of a U.S jury that awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer, apparently caused by the company's baby powder.
Jacqueline Fox of Birmingham, Alabama died in October at the age of 62.
She is said to have used Johnson & Johnson baby powder for years as part of her feminine hygiene routine.
Fox was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few years ago.
The civil suit in the St. Louis Circuit Court is understood to have been part of a claim involving 60 other people.
The company is accused of chasing profits and failing to warn consumers of the health risks of its products that have the mineral talc as a component.
In a statement, Johnson & Johnson says it sympathises with the family, but that the verdict goes against decades of sound science which has proved the safety of talc as a cosmetic ingredient.
It says the talc used in some of its products is of the highest quality and meets the required standards.
The Fox family lawyer says of the amount awarded by the Missouri jury, $10 million is for actual damages and $62 million punitive damages.