$4.7 Billion Awarded In Johnson & Johnson Lawsuit That Claimed Product Caused Ovarian Cancer
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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (CBS/CNN) -- A jury in St. Louis has awarded nearly $4.7 billion in damages to a group of 22 women who say Johnson and Johnson talcum products caused them to develop ovarian cancer.
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The plaintiffs argue the company sold talc products contaminated with asbestos -- a mineral that has been linked to lung cancer.
The jurors sat through weeks of testimony listening to experts who explained the complicated science, workers at Johnson & Johnson who said their product was safe. They also heard from the cancer survivors themselves and the loved ones of six plaintiffs who have died from their cancer.
In a statement, Johnson & Johnson said they were deeply disappointed in the verdict.
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They also stated that they remain "confident that its products do not contain asbestos and do not cause ovarian cancer."
There have long been concerns about a possible link between talc and ovarian cancer, but scientific studies have yielded mixed results.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)