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Cosmetic Talc Litigation Media Coverage August 09, 2016
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Consumer Protection: Let’s Talc About Baby Powder
Aug 8, 2016 | The National Law Review
By Derin Kiykioglu
Talc—the softest mineral on earth—historically had been a key ingredient in baby powder. Because baby powder is a cosmetic product, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate it. But talc has faced recent legal challenges by long-time baby powder users, alleging that talc may have caused ovarian cancer. -
Talcum Powder Lawsuits Increase
Aug 8, 2016 | Lawyers and Settlements
By Heidi Turner
As a motion to consolidated federal talcum powder lawsuits is filed, more plaintiffs are coming forward saying they were put at risk of ovarian and other cancers thanks to their use of Johnson & Johnson's product. -
Admissibility Hearings Kick off in N.J. Talcum Powder Case Scheduled for Oct. Trial
Aug 8, 2016 | Harris Martin Publishing
A New Jersey state court is currently overseeing hearings related to expert admissibility in two talcum powder lawsuits, one of which is set to begin trial this fall, sources told HarrisMartin. -
Stocks in News: General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Aug 8, 2016 | Benchmark Monitor
... Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has asked a judge to relocate an upcoming trial over claims that its talc-based powders can cause ovarian cancer out of St. Louis, due to a “pervasive and targeted publicity campaign” by plaintiffs’ firms.
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US Coverage
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Consumer Protection: Let’s Talc About Baby Powder
Aug 8, 2016 | The National Law Review
By Derin Kiykioglu
Talc—the softest mineral on earth—historically had been a key ingredient in baby powder. Because baby powder is a cosmetic product, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate it. But talc has faced recent legal challenges by long-time baby powder users, alleging that talc may have caused ovarian cancer.
For example, Deane Berg suedJohnson & Johnson for failing to warn of a potential link between talc exposure and ovarian cancer. Although the jury did not award her compensatory or punitive damages, it found Johnson & Johnson negligent. Other plaintiffs have now filed similar claims, alleging that talc manufacturers should warn of the alleged link between talc exposure and ovarian cancer, especially with regard to use of baby powder in the perineal area.
Plaintiffs here face several challenges in proving causation, particularly because of the tenuous link between talc exposure and cancer. A woman’s lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is very low: about 0.01 percent. Some studies show talc slightly increases a woman’s lifetime risk to 0.0133 percent, while other studies failed to find a link. While some epidemiological studies have demonstrated a correlation, especially in African-American women, correlation is not causation. The studies also face methodological challenges because only a few have accounted for both frequency and duration of baby powder use.
Lawsuits like these place companies in tough positions. Failure to warn claims involve balancing. The judge who presided over Ms. Berg’s case advised the jurors that they must consider both the likelihood and gravity of an ovarian cancer diagnosis caused by baby powder usage and the costs to Johnson & Johnson of including a new warning. But even in recent talc cases in which plaintiffs have been awarded damages for their claims, the jury is still out on the link between talc exposure and ovarian cancer.
Regardless, companies like Johnson & Johnson must now make a choice. They must decide whether to warn consumers that their product may cause cancer based on suspect science or face new lawsuits.
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/consumer-protection-let-s-talc-about-baby-powder
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Talcum Powder Lawsuits Increase
Aug 8, 2016 | Lawyers and Settlements
By Heidi Turner
Chicago, IL -As a motion to consolidated federal talcum powder lawsuits is filed, more plaintiffs are coming forward saying they were put at risk of ovarian and other cancers thanks to their use of Johnson & Johnson's product. Juries have sided with plaintiffs and awarded millions of dollars in awards, finding that Johnson & Johnson put consumers at risk of cancer. But perhaps the most damning lawsuit was one that resulted in no award.
The New York Times (5/23/16) shares the story of Deane Berg, who at 49 was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer despite having no risk factors for ovarian cancer. The only potential link that she could see was her use of baby powder.
So Berg filed a lawsuit, alleging Johnson & Johnson knew or should have known about studies linking talcum powder and cancer. Johnson & Johnson says its powder is safe to use, but at least one study, conducted back in 1971, reportedly found evidence of talcum powder particles in ovarian tumors.
In a document filed in relation to Berg's lawsuit, Dr. Daniel Cramer noted a questionnaire completed by Berg after her diagnosis suggested Berg had applied talc to her genital area more than 11,000 times (document found at fairwarning.org).
"It has been about 40 years since talc producers, the cosmetics industry, in general, and Johnson and Johnson, in particular, have been aware of a possible connection between cosmetic talc use and ovarian cancer," Dr. Cramer wrote. "Had a warning label been placed on talc products in 1982 discouraging use in the genital area, Ms. Berg might have stopped her talc use and avoided more than 20 years of exposure."
Because cancer can take a long time to develop, and because it would be unethical to expose women to talcum powder to see if they develop cancer, studying the link between cancer and talcum powder is difficult. But some observational studies have suggested a link between women using talcum powder on their genitals and developing ovarian cancer.A jury agreed with Berg, but did not award her any damages. Subsequent lawsuits, however, have resulted in millions of dollars of awards to plaintiffs - including one award of $72 million - and more lawsuits are being filed.
Meanwhile, citing more than 1,200 pending talcum powder lawsuits, attorneys for the plaintiffs have filed a motion to consolidate all federally filed lawsuits for pretrial proceedings. The Motion for Transfer was reportedly filed July 15, 2016, and requests the Southern District of Illinois as a venue. Lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson allege the company knew about an increased risk of ovarian and other cancers linked to the company's talcum powder but did not warn consumers and may have concealed evidence of the link.https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/johnson-lawsuit-body-powder-talcum/johnson-lawsuit-body-powder-talcum-9-21651.html?utm_expid=3607522-13.Y4u1ixZNSt6o8v_5N8VGVA.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
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Admissibility Hearings Kick off in N.J. Talcum Powder Case Scheduled for Oct. Trial
Aug 8, 2016 | Harris Martin Publishing
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. –– A New Jersey state court is currently overseeing hearings related to expert admissibility in two talcum powder lawsuits, one of which is set to begin trial this fall, sources told HarrisMartin.
The New Jersey Superior Court for Atlantic City scheduled the Kemp admissibility hearings for the weeks of Aug. 8 and 15, sources said. During the hearings, the parties will present live witnesses to argue the point of whether the plaintiffs’ experts’ opinions are admissible.
The hearings are taking place in the Carl case, scheduled to begin trial on Oct. 11, and the Balderrama case, scheduled ...
Subscription required, for full story: http://harrismartin.com/article/21195/admissibility-hearings-kick-off-in-nj-talcum-powder-case-scheduled-for-oct-trial/
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Aug 8, 2016 | Benchmark Monitor
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) traded 13.14 Million shares on last trading day with closing price of $30.80. Company gross margin stands at 13.20% whereas its return on investment (ROI) is 7.00%. Stock value has moved between $23.51 – 35.4 in last one year. Analyst’s mean target price for General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is $36.53 while analysts mean recommendation is 2.30. GM EPS growth this year and EPS growth next year is 255.40%, -0.61% respectively.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) and its joint ventures recorded 270,529 new vehicle deliveries in China in July 2016, an increase of 18 percent from July 2015. “GM and our joint ventures managed to top 2 million deliveries in record time, as sales remained strong across many segments,” said GM Executive Vice President and GM China President Matt Tsien.
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares moved to $230.03 after starting the day at $230.00 on Friday. TSLA market capitalization is 30.81B with 13058 employees. Analyst’s mean target price for Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is 252.58 while analysts mean recommendation is 2.90. Its weekly performance is -2.03% while year to date (YTD) performance is -4.16%.
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) has disclosed $1.1bn in third quarter cash requirements in payments and planned expenditures, about a third of the cash on hand mid-year, in a new sign of pressure on the electric vehicle maker. The company is finishing construction of a massive battery factory in Nevada, the Gigafactory, and ramping up for production next year of a mass market sedan, the Model 3.
On last trading day The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) traded 10.39 Million shares and was closed at 43.48. Analyst’s mean target price for KO is 47.88 while analysts mean recommendation is 2.30. Company is -7.04% away from its 52 week high and is moving 22.75% ahead of its 52 week low. KO Gross Margin is 60.30% and its return on assets is 8.30%. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) quarterly performance is -3.32% while its price to sale ratio is 4.35 and price to book ratio is 7.06.
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) announced that James Quincey, President and Chief Operating Officer, will present at 3:45 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016 during the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference being held in Boston.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) traded 5.15 Million shares on last trading day with closing price of $124.24. Company gross margin stands at 69.60% whereas its return on investment (ROI) is 16.90%. Stock value has moved between $80.15 – 125.49 in last one year. Analyst’s mean target price for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is $126.39 while analysts mean recommendation is 2.40. JNJ EPS growth this year and EPS growth next year is -3.90%, 6.25% respectively.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has asked a judge to relocate an upcoming trial over claims that its talc-based powders can cause ovarian cancer out of St. Louis, due to a “pervasive and targeted publicity campaign” by plaintiffs’ firms. In a motion filed in St. Louis state court on Monday, J&J said a blitz of ads over the past year targeting that market had tainted the jury pool, making it impossible for the company to get a fair trial there.
http://www.benchmarkmonitor.com/stocks-in-news-general-motors-company-nysegm-tesla-motors-inc-nasdaqtsla-the-coca-cola-company-nyseko-johnson-johnson-nysejnj/1880295/
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