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talc 6/9
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Money managers pick lawsuit-besieged J&J as most respected brand in annual Barron’s poll
Jun 8, 2016 | Fierce Pharma
By Beth Snyder Bulik
Barron’s annual list of the most respected global companies came out last weekm and at the top for the first time ever was Johnson & Johnson. It came in just ahead of Berkshire Hathaway at No. 2 and a falling Apple at No. 3, dropped from the top spot in 2015. -
Talc Plaintiffs Ask Court to Stay Case and Request Expedited Ruling on Motion to Remand
Jun 8, 2016 | Harris Martin Publishing
Talc-based powder exposure plaintiffs whose claims were recently removed to federal court have asked the court to stay the case and requested an expedited ruling on their motion to remand in order to “save time and judicial resources and avoid further prejudice to Plaintiffs.” -
Talc-Based Powder Plaintiffs Also Move to Supplement Record in Appeal; Say that 8th Circuit Needs ‘Context’
Jun 8, 2016 | Harris Martin
The talc-based powder exposure plaintiffs involved in the appeal of a dismissal order have filed their own motion to supplement the appellate record, saying that the 8th Circuit needs the context in which a state court ordered that an upcoming talc trial involve a single plaintiff, as opposed to several plaintiffs as originally intended. -
Louisiana Talc Plaintiff Moves to Dismiss Claims Without Prejudice
Jun 8, 2016 | Harris Martin Publishing
A Louisiana woman has filed a motion to dismiss her talc-based powder claims without prejudice, according to a recent filing in federal court. -
Johnson & Johnson's 'no more tears' shampoo, talc under cancer cloud
Jun 9, 2016 | DNA India
By Dipu Rai
India's national child rights body has asked five states to test Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and shampoo for asbestos, formaldehyde and other "hazardous chemicals", casting a shadow over the very two products that evoke images of sweet smelling cherubic babies and have been used by generations of parents.
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Money managers pick lawsuit-besieged J&J as most respected brand in annual Barron’s poll
Jun 8, 2016 | Fierce Pharma
By Beth Snyder Bulik
Barron’s annual list of the most respected global companies came out last weekm and at the top for the first time ever was Johnson & Johnson. It came in just ahead of Berkshire Hathaway at No. 2 and a falling Apple at No. 3, dropped from the top spot in 2015.
That’s likely welcome news for the beleaguered J&J, which has been in the media more often lately for talcum-powder lawsuits that allege the company knew about a connection to ovarian cancer. More than 1,000 suits have reportedly been filed, but already this year in two St. Louis cases, juries awarded damages of $55 million and $72 million to ovarian cancer patients and their families, saying J&J failed to adequately warn women of the danger.
The respect ranking disconnect may be in part because the Barron’s poll is not a consumer ranking. Barron’s asks professional investors, not consumers, for their opinions in determining the top global brands. J&J’s adeptness at handling problems in the past wins it favor with investors, in fact, Barron’s reported, noting “The company’s deft handling of a recall of its Tylenol pain reliever after a cyanide-tampering scare still inspires, even though the episode occurred more than 30 years ago.” And the company did weather a slew of litigation over its Risperdal antipsychotic, too.
The reasons why money managers might respect a brand are different from why consumers might feel the same way. The top reason for the money managers' respect was strong management (30%), followed by ethical business practices (25%) and sound business strategies (19%).
Meanwhile, among consumers, the J&J parent brand is at an all-time low according to a recent YouGov BrandIndex survey reported in Mediapost’s Marketing Daily. Since early February, J&J’s perception levels have dropped by two-thirds, although two of its most important brands, Band-Aid and Tylenol were less affected. Band-Aid increased 18% and Tylenol dropped 13%.
Mediapost quoted YouGov BrandIndex CEO Ted Marzilli as saying,“The parent brand will survive and likely thrive. But the baby powder brand might never recover.”
Another reason J&J fared well in the investors’ survey is diminished admiration for some of last year’s top performers, including Walt Disney, Google’s parent Alphabet, and Visa, Barron’s reported.
The article also noted healthcare companies failed to repeat its sector trend of high regard in 2015 when 13 of the top 30 spots were pharma, biotech, medical device makers or pharmacy benefit managers.
“Health-care stocks are down 8% as a group since last July, after many years of leading the market. That decline, which dented investors’ wallets, is likely to have had a negative impact on respect scores, too,” Barron’s said.
http://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/money-managers-pick-lawsuit-besieged-j-j-as-most-respected-brand-annual-barron-s-poll
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Talc Plaintiffs Ask Court to Stay Case and Request Expedited Ruling on Motion to Remand
Jun 8, 2016 | Harris Martin Publishing
Talc-based powder exposure plaintiffs whose claims were recently removed to federal court have asked the court to stay the case and requested an expedited ruling on their motion to remand in order to “save time and judicial resources and avoid further prejudice to Plaintiffs.”
In the alternative, the plaintiffs moved the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri for leave to initiate discovery on the issue of general personal jurisdiction.
The underlying suit was filed by 80 plaintiffs, all of whom alleged that they developed ovarian cancer as a result of using the defendants’ talc-based ...
Subscription required, for full text: http://harrismartin.com/article/20930/talc-plaintiffs-ask-court-to-stay-case-and-request-expedited-ruling-on-motion-to-remand/
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Jun 8, 2016 | Harris Martin
The talc-based powder exposure plaintiffs involved in the appeal of a dismissal order have filed their own motion to supplement the appellate record, saying that the 8th Circuit needs the context in which a state court ordered that an upcoming talc trial involve a single plaintiff, as opposed to several plaintiffs as originally intended.
In the June 7 motion filed in the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the plaintiffs additionally opined that the two orders cited by the defendants in their motion should not be considered since they were not before the District Court and post-date ...
Subscription required, for full text: http://harrismartin.com/article/20929/talc-based-powder-plaintiffs-also-move-to-supplement-record-in-appeal-say-that-8th-circuit-needs-context/
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Louisiana Talc Plaintiff Moves to Dismiss Claims Without Prejudice
Jun 8, 2016 | Harris Martin Publishing
A Louisiana woman has filed a motion to dismiss her talc-based powder claims without prejudice, according to a recent filing in federal court.
Plaintiff Paula Jackson –– who contended that she developed ovarian cancer as a result of using Shower-to-Shower and Baby Powder –– filed the motion to dismiss on June 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The motion comes weeks after the defendants filed a motion attacking Jackson’s strict liability failure to warn and negligence, breach of express warranties, civil conspiracy and acting in concert and gross negligence.
In ...
Subscription required, for full text: http://harrismartin.com/article/20927/louisiana-talc-plaintiff-moves-to-dismiss-claims-without-prejudice/
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Johnson & Johnson's 'no more tears' shampoo, talc under cancer cloud
Jun 9, 2016 | DNA India
By Dipu Rai
India's national child rights body has asked five states to test Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and shampoo for asbestos, formaldehyde and other "hazardous chemicals", casting a shadow over the very two products that evoke images of sweet smelling cherubic babies and have been used by generations of parents.
Putting the trusted baby care brand under a cloud of suspicion, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on May 17 wrote to the chief secretaries of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan – each state representing a different zone.
The order copy, accessed by dna, asks the states "to collect samples of Johnson & Johnson baby powder and shampoo...forward the samples to a NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited government laboratory only for testing the composition of sample."
It specified that the investigation should focus on the "presence of asbestos (in powder) and formaldehyde (in shampoo) or any other hazardous chemical". Asbestos and formaldehyde are both carcinogenic.
The test reports should be sent to NCPCR within 30 days of the letter being issued, the order stated. The reports will be put before the expert committee for examination and further course of action will be decided.
"We are waiting for the lab report but I would like to ensure the public at large that we will take stringent action if we find any violation regarding safety norms of these products," said NCPCR chairperson Stuti Kakar.
The NCPCR's nationwide probe was prompted by a jury in St Louis in the US state of Missouri in February awarding $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder products for feminine hygiene.
Formaldehyde has been identified as a human carcinogen by several experts and government agencies, including the United States National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A research on occupational exposures and formaldehyde, published in the reputed science journal Elsevier, shows the link between formaldehyde and leukaemia. The study also reports that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a body of World Health Organisation (WHO), recently classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen that causes nasopharyngeal cancer.
Talcum powder is made of talc – a mineral of hydrated magnesium silicate. It is widely used in personal care products like facial powder, adult body powder and baby powder along with in other many consumer products. In natural form, some talc contains a form of amphibole asbestos known as Tremolite. IARC has classified Talc that contains asbestos as 'carcinogenic to human'.Johnson & Johnson view
Defending itself, a Johnson & Johnson India spokesperson said they had not received any query on baby powder and shampoo from government of India's child protection body.
"Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously. We want to assure everyone that all our products meet the highest quality, purity and compliance standards. They also meet or exceed government standards in the countries where they are sold, as well the US and EU cosmetic ingredient safety guidelines, or whichever is stricter when they differ," the spokesperson said.
The statement went on to say, "Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc. Multiple scientific and regulatory reviews have determined that talc is safe for use in cosmetic products and the labelling on Johnson's Baby Powder is appropriate. For over 100 years, Johnson & Johnson has provided consumers with a safe choice for cosmetic powder products and we will continue to work hard to exceed consumer expectations and evolving product preferences. We understand that women and families affected by ovarian cancer are searching for answers, and we deeply sympathize with all who have been affected by this devastating disease with no known cause. We will appeal the recent verdict and continue to defend the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder.
"We never add formaldehyde directly to our products, and from 2015 even the formaldehyde-releasers have been removed from our products, worldwide."What is formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde, traditionally known as methanal, is a colourless, strong-smelling gas used in a wide range of products, including building materials, walls and cabinets and personal care products. In personal care products, formaldehyde can be added directly or in the form of chemical preservative such as quaternium-15.
People are exposed to formaldehyde, along with other means like tobacco smoke and household products, by using products of personal care. In products of personal care formaldehyde may be released in the gas form and can be inhaled or can be absorbed through skin or through accidental ingestion.What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a fibrous silicate mineral. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of asbestosis – a respiratory disease, and mesothelioma – a type of cancer. US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Environment Protection Agency and IARC have classified asbestos as known human Carcinogen.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-johnson-johnson-s-no-more-tears-shampoo-talc-under-cancer-cloud-2221469
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