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'Unfair process'
Talc is a mineral and can sometimes be found in the ground in close proximity
to asbestos.
J&J denied that its products ever contained asbestos and insisted that they do
not cause cancer.
The pharmaceutical giant added that several studies have shown its talc to be
safe and said the verdict was a product of a "fundamentally unfair process".
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioned a study of a
variety of talc samples, including J&J, from 2009 to 2010. It found no asbestos
in any of them.
The prosecution lawyer told the Missouri court that the FDA and Johnson &
Johnson had used flawed testing methods.
Analysis:
Philippa Roxby, BBC health reporter
Is talc safe?
There have been concerns for years that using talcum powder, particularly on
the genitals, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer - but the evidence is not
conclusive. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies
talc used on the genitals as "possibly carcinogenic" because of the mixed
evidence.