Mesothelioma 95 articles

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into the possibility that cosmetics containing talc may be contaminated with asbestos and will “take appropriate actions to protect consumers,” the agency told SELF magazine. SELF posed the question, “How Worried Do You Need to Be About Asbestos in Baby Powder and Other Talc Products?” in a recent issue of its online magazine. The story follows a Reuters investigation in December that revealed that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that its talcum powder products may have been contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos, but the company never informed federal regulators nor did it warn ... Read More

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) awarded a research grant to detect gene mutations in specific subtypes of peritoneal mesothelioma in hopes of identifying already available therapies for these patients as well as developing new screening tools. The study, led by Waqas Amin, M.D., with the University of Pittsburgh, will analyze three histological subtypes (epithelioid, biphasic and sarcomatoid) in peritoneal mesothelioma to find the most significant gene mutations for better characterization and identification of genetic variants. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common type of the disease, affecting ... Read More

Johnson & Johnson’s talc supplier, Imerys Talc America, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an effort to protect itself against more than 14,600 lawsuits in the U.S. that claim its talc causes cancer. Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada Inc., also filed for bankruptcy. All three are subsidiaries of Paris-based Imerys SA. The filing will enable the companies to establish a trust to fund current and future claims. All lawsuits against the company involving cancer claims will also be centralized under one judge. “After carefully evaluating all possible options, we determined pursuing Chapter 11 protection is the best ... Read More

A scientist who heads a company that specializes in detecting microscopic asbestos fibers in samples of talc said he found up to 55,000 fibers of the carcinogenic mineral per gram in six out of seven samples from a Korean talc mine, which means that a 10-ounce bottle of talcum powder could contain as much as 14 million asbestos fibers, Law360 reported. The scientist, William Longo, is an electron microscopist who serves as president of Material Analytical Services, a company that specializes in finding near-invisible bits of asbestos in various samples. His equipment is highly sensitive – far more so than ... Read More

Fisher Controls International LLC was hit with a $5.1 million verdict by a South Carolina jury that found the company’s asbestos-containing valves were the cause of a deceased employee’s fatal mesothelioma. Thomas Harold Glenn worked as a pipe fitter and instrumentation technician at various Duke Energy power plants, including three nuclear power plants, for 27 years from 1970 to 1997. As part of his job, Glenn would remove and inspect pumps and valves from pipelines, and often worked with gaskets that contained asbestos, as well as around others who were replacing valves made by Fisher. In late 2014, Glenn was ... Read More

An Arkansas federal jury awarded a deceased mechanic’s son $18 million after finding that Honeywell International, among other parties, were responsible for causing his father’s fatal mesothelioma, Law360 reports. Ronald Burlie Thomas filed a lawsuit against 11 companies including Honeywell and Ford Motor Company. He died at the age of 72 in December 2017. Following Mr. Thomas’ death, his son, Michael Lyn Thomas, stepped in as the plaintiff. Ronald Thomas claimed that he was exposed to asbestos in materials he used while working as a mechanic. Honeywell’s predecessor, Bendix Corp., made the brakes that the jury determined were the source ... Read More

The medical community has known since 1922 that inhaling talcum powder can lead to the lung disease talcosis and could even asphyxiate babies, yet Johnson & Johnson never warned consumers of its other talc-containing products of this risk. Instead, even after learning that asbestos was found in the talc it used, the company marketed its talcum products as “pure,” even adding fragrances to make the products more attractive to buyers, an epidemiologist testified to California jurors in the case of a woman suing J&J. Dr. David S. Egilman told jurors that his opinions are based on an analysis of the ... Read More

About 3,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with malignant mesothelioma. A third of them are Veterans. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It develops in the lining of the lungs or abdomen. And while it can take up to 50 years to develop, once diagnosed, mesothelioma usually kills within a year or two. A disproportionate number of Veterans are diagnosed with the disease because many were exposed to asbestos during their service. Asbestos is a durable, fire-resistant mineral, which made it an excellent insulation. As a result, it was widely used in buildings and ships ... Read More

The island country of Sri Lanka has halted imports of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products until the company can prove that its talc-containing products are not contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos. The news comes just weeks after federal authorities in neighboring India collected samples of talcum powder from two India-based Johnson & Johnson facilities to test for asbestos. That inspection was initiated after a Reuters investigation uncovered documents that showed Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that the talc it used in its products contained asbestos. The company never informed federal authorities in the U.S., nor did it warn consumers ... Read More

Johnson & Johnson employees who trusted the company with their retirement savings by investing in the company’s stock are suing the consumer health care giant. They accuse the company of overvaluing its stocks while hiding the fact that its talcum powder products contained cancer causing asbestos, according to a proposed class action complaint filed in New Jersey federal court, Law360 reported. Lead plaintiff Michael Perrone claims that J&J and some of its senior executives violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by failing to act in the best interest of their retirement plans because they knew for decades that ... Read More