Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay A$1.47 Billion in Landmark Cancer Case

Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered by a United States jury to pay A$1.47 billion (US$966 million) to the family of Mae Moore, a California woman who died from mesothelioma, a rare cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The verdict represents one of the largest financial awards issued in a mesothelioma-related lawsuit against the company to date.

Moore, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 88, had filed her lawsuit that same year, alleging that asbestos fibres in J&J’s talc-based baby powder were responsible for her illness. The jury awarded her family A$24.5 million (US$16 million) in compensatory damages and an additional A$1.45 billion (US$950 million) in punitive damages. The amount, however, may be reduced during the appeal process, as the U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that punitive damages should generally not exceed nine times compensatory damages.

The ruling adds to the company’s ongoing legal challenges. J&J is currently facing more than 67,000 lawsuits in the United States from individuals who claim that long-term use of its talc products caused cancer, mostly ovarian cancer, with a smaller number of mesothelioma cases. The company has sought to manage the litigation through bankruptcy filings, but U.S. courts have rejected these efforts.

J&J discontinued sales of its talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based formula. Medical authorities have long linked mesothelioma to asbestos exposure, though J&J maintains that its products are asbestos-free, safe, and do not cause cancer.

Following the verdict, Erik Haas, J&J’s worldwide vice president of litigation, said the company intends to appeal. He described the jury’s decision as “egregious and unconstitutional” and argued that the case relied on “junk science” not supported by decades of independent studies. He also noted that the company has prevailed in many similar lawsuits, including a recent case in South Carolina in which a jury found J&J not liable.

The Moore family’s legal representatives welcomed the verdict, describing it as a step toward accountability. “We are hopeful that Johnson & Johnson will finally accept responsibility for these senseless deaths,” said Trey Branham, one of the family’s lawyers.

In addition to litigation in the U.S., Shine Lawyers in Australia is investigating a potential class action against J&J. The firm represents women who claim they developed ovarian and other reproductive cancers after prolonged use of talc-based products and aims to determine whether the company’s powder was a defective product unfit for its intended purpose.

While J&J continues to contest the claims and appeal adverse verdicts, the case highlights the company’s ongoing efforts to address thousands of lawsuits worldwide related to its historic talc product line. The outcome of the Moore appeal—and other pending cases—will likely influence how the company moves forward in resolving the broader litigation.