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 The case of Bertila Boyd-Bostic, who died of a rare form of cancer
in 2017 at the age of 30, is the latest in a series of trials in the
United States that center around allegations that the company's
talc-based powder contained asbestos.
"We're disappointed the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict for
Johnson & Johnson," the company said in a statement emailed to
Reuters.
"The talc in Johnson's Baby Powder does not contain asbestos, which
is supported by more than 50 years of independent, non-litigation
driven scientific evaluations."
Asbestos is a known carcinogen linked to mesothelioma, the type of
cancer Boyd-Bostic had been diagnosed with at the age of 29.
After two weeks of trial, the jury in the Darlington County Court of
Common Pleas said it could not decide whether J&J was responsible
for the disease. Under South Carolina law, a jury has to make a
unanimous decision.
Christopher Swett, a lawyer for the family of Boyd-Bostic, said in a
statement that the plaintiffs would retry the case at the earliest
opportunity.
"We continue to believe that the daily use of baby powder on Bertila
from birth led to her death," Swett said.
The case also named as a defendant the U.S. unit of talc supplier
Imerys SA, as well as a local unit of Rite Aid, one of the largest
U.S. drugstore chains, which allegedly sold the baby powder used by
the woman.
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Gwen Myers, a spokeswoman for Imerys Talc America, said: "We remain
confident that talc does not cause cancer. Imerys follows all FDA
and other regulatory guidelines and utilizes rigorous testing to
ensure that our talc meets the highest quality standards. We
continue to stand by the safety of our product."
Rite Aid did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
J&J is battling some 9,000 cases claiming its talc products cause
ovarian cancer, but litigants have recently focused on claims based
on alleged asbestos contamination.
A California jury on Thursday awarded $25.7 million in damages to a
woman and her husband over allegations that the company's baby
powder had caused her mesothelioma.
A New Jersey court jury in April ordered J&J and Imerys Talc America
to pay $117 million to a man who alleged he developed mesothelioma
due to asbestos exposure from talc-based products.
The company won the only other asbestos-related trial in November,
when a Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled in its favor.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Diane
Craft)
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