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J&J Talc 4/19
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Deadly Talcum Powder? Lawsuit Ties Talc to Wife’s Fatal Ovarian Cancer
Apr 18, 2016 | My News LA
By Debbie L. Skylar
Johnson & Johnson s being sued by a man who alleges his wife died of ovarian cancer after years of using talcum products marketed by the company and bought in stores in Los Angeles County. -
Will Big Pharma Catch the Strong Dollar Disease?
Apr 18, 2016 | News Markets
By Sharon Darwish
...One of its best-known products, Johnson’s Baby Powder, is finding itself in controversy.
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Deadly Talcum Powder? Lawsuit Ties Talc to Wife’s Fatal Ovarian Cancer
Apr 18, 2016 | My News LA
By Debbie L. Skylar
Johnson & Johnson s being sued by a man who alleges his wife died of ovarian cancer after years of using talcum products marketed by the company and bought in stores in Los Angeles County.
Soren Threadgill filed the wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking unspecified damages. His other allegations include fraud, negligence, breach of implied warranty and strict products liability.
The complaint filed Friday also names Imerys Talc America, a producer and distributor of the talcum powder used by Threadgill’s wife, Eva Maria Threadgill; Rite Aid Corp. and the Gelson’s supermarket chain.
A Johnson & Johnson representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Threadgill’s wife bought Johnson & Johnson talc-based products Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene purposes at Rite Aid and Gelson’s, the suit states. She used the products for 25 years, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998 and died in December 2012, according to the complaint.
Johnson & Johnson marketed Shower to Shower with the slogan, “Just a sprinkle a day keeps the odor away,” the suit says. Johnson Baby Powder ads promised consumers they could use the powder “anytime you want skin to feel soft, fresh and comfortable,” according to the lawsuit.
Johnson & Johnson knew or should have known about the dangers associated with talcum-based powders because cancer organizations had told them about the problem, the suit alleges.
For instance, the Cancer Prevention Coalition notified Johnson & Johnson’s CEO in 1994 that studies evaluating talcum powder in the genital area posed “a serious risk of ovarian cancer,” the suit states.
The International Association for the Research of Cancer concluded in February 2006 that talc-based body powder was a human carcinogen, according to the suit.
Despite such knowledge, Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers of the dangers of talcum powder use, the suit alleges.
In February, a Missouri jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $72 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the family of Jacqueline Fox of Birmingham, Alabama. She died of ovarian cancer in October at the age of 62 after years of using the company’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene.
http://mynewsla.com/crime/2016/04/18/deadly-talcum-powder-lawsuit-ties-talc-to-wifes-fatal-ovarian-cancer/
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Will Big Pharma Catch the Strong Dollar Disease?
Apr 18, 2016 | News Markets
By Sharon Darwish
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), two of the biggest pharmaceutical giants in the world, are due to report their first quarter sales numbers in the next two weeks. What can investors expect? And can they expect another dividend rise?
Johnson & Johnson is up first, with its results due on Tuesday, with Eli Lilly a week later.
Both company’s shareholders will be looking for dividend increases. Johnson & Johnson’s is seen as a ‘safe haven’ in a volatile market for that very reason – its has risen without a falter for 53 consecutive years.
As for Eli Lilly, it raised dividends per share by 2.04% from 2014 to 2015, something of a rarity in the pharmaceutical and drugs industry, where companies don’t normally distribute cash to shareholders.
This year, J&J shares are up 7% year-to-date, while Eli Lilly’s have fallen 10%, and over the last three months, they are down 6.8%. Over the last three months, J&J stock is up over 13%. Currently, analysts polled by the Wall Street Journalrate both stocks a ‘buy’.
The biggest worry for both companies is the strong dollar, which is hampering earnings of companies across all sectors.
Despite this major headwind, J&J was one of the only pharma giants to report a positive return last year. Earnings hit $2.2 billion in 2015, an increase of 3.6% on 2014. The dollar impacted its gains by between 7 % and 7.5%, according to company results.
However, the outlook for 2016 is looking more positive, with CFO Dominic Caruso estimating the negative impact of the dollar on sales to lessen to 1.5%.
Eli Lilly also reported a 2% rise in full-year earnings to around $20 billion, with a similar impact of 7% from the dollar. That number fell short of analysts’ expectations.
Factset is looking for earnings per share to rise to $1.65 from $1.56 in the previous quarter, although J&J hasconsistently beaten EPS estimates for the last five years. Eli Lilly is expected to report EPS of 85 cents, down from 87 cents the year before, according to analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal.
Investors will look for J&J to maintain its pace of growth and will look to see if the company has continued to expand its market share in key areas. The company has three main divisions: consumer healthcare, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
Its most famous products include Baby Shampoo, Neutrogena and Listerine. One of its best-known products, Johnson’s Baby Powder, is finding itself in controversy.
In February 2016, a jury in the US state of Missouri ordered J&J to pay $72 million in damages in response to its talcum powder’s links to ovarian cancer. There are now over 1,000 lawsuits from US customers surrounding its products risks.
Both companies, meanwhile, have launched new drugs recently.
The US government’s approval for J&J’s Darzalex – a treatment against a type of bone marrow cancer – four months ahead of schedule – should see a positive impact on sales this year.
New approval for Eli Lilly’s new anti-diabetes drug Trulicity should see Lily’s earnings increase, especially thanks to its release in India – where 70 million people have the condition. It will be interesting to see what company executives say about the drug’s initial impact.
The market will also be looking to see how the firms’ osteoporosis and ADHD drugs – both financial mainstays – are performing, too.
https://news.markets/shares/pharma-stocks-15497/
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