Johnson & Johnson may seek to set aside talc cancer judgements after Supreme Court ruling

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) may be able to offset hundreds of claims from women who claim their ovarian cancer was caused by talcum powder after a Supreme Court ruling on Monday.

The ruling saw out-of -state residents blocked from suing pharma giant Bristol-Myers Squibb in California over blood thinner Plavix.

Soon after that ruling, a judge in a case in Missouri involving J&J and ovarian cancer allegedly caused by talcum powder declared a mistrial.

Over 1,000 plaintiffs have sued J&J in the state of Missouri but most are from outside of the state.

In four out of five trials in Missouri that reached a conclusion, an aggregate US$300mln worth of compensation was awarded but a spokesperson for J&J said the Supreme Court ruling now requires reversal of these cases.

In an email to Associated Press, Carol Goodrich said: “The ruling “makes it clear that Johnson & Johnson was wrongfully forced to defend itself in multiple trials in Missouri, a state with no connection to the plaintiffs.”

A number of companies are fighting against the trend for venue –shopping, where people suing chose a court in a state seen as more sympathetic to their action.

Johnson & Johnson is based in New Jersey but distributes talc from a plant at Union, Missouri.

Story by ProactiveInvestors