Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $15 million in damages to Connecticut resident Ivan Plotkin. Plotkin was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare cancer, in 2021 and alleged that this disease was caused by his use of the company's baby powder. A judge from the Connecticut Superior Court ruled in favor of Plotkin and instructed the company to pay a significant fine. The court also noted that there is a possibility of additional fines being imposed in the future, which will be determined later.

Regarding the case, Johnson & Johnson's Vice President Eric Hass stated in a statement that the judge's ruling is incorrect and that the company plans to appeal it. He also mentioned that independent scientific evaluations prove that talc is safe and does not contain any asbestos that could cause cancer.

Johnson & Johnson has been marketing its baby powder since 1894, which had been a popular product for a long time. However, after nearly 35,000 American women filed lawsuits claiming that it caused ovarian cancer, demand for the product began to decline significantly. The ongoing case has further complicated this situation. So far, approximately 62,000 lawsuits have been filed against the company, most of which allege ovarian and other gynecological cancers.

To date, Johnson & Johnson has been forced to pay nearly $9 billion in compensation, and in 2020, the company withdrew its talc-based products from the U.S. market.