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☆ Johnson & Johnson must pay $18.8 million to California cancer patient in baby powder suit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Johnson & Johnson must pay $18.8 million to a California man who said he developed cancer from exposure to its baby powder, a jury decided on Tuesday, a setback for the company as it seeks to settle thousands of similar cases over its talc-based products in US bankruptcy court. The six-week trial was the first over talc that New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J has faced in almost two years. Hernandez will not be able to collect the judgment in the foreseeable future, thanks to a bankruptcy court order freezing most litigation over J&J’s talc. Jurors heard from Hernandez’s mother, Anna Camacho, who said she used large amounts of J&J’s baby powder on her son when he was a baby and through childhood. Tens of thousands of plaintiffs have sued, alleging that J&J’s baby powder and other talc products sometimes contained asbestos and caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

Persons: Johnson, Emory Hernandez Valadez, Hernandez, Erik Haas, ”, Anna Camacho, Michael Kaplan, LTL, J Organizations: J, Reuters, View, LTL Management, LTL’s Locations: California, Oakland, Brunswick , New Jersey, Trenton , New Jersey

☆ J&J faces a pivotal talc verdict. Jim Cramer looks at how both outcomes could impact the stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

J & J has said that more than 60,000 claimants support its latest proposition. This is the first J & J talc trial in about two years. JNJ YTD mountain J & J year-to-date stock performance The unresolved lawsuits against J & J have, in part, weighed on the company's stock. The MedTech and Pharmaceuticals units remained and make up the new J & J. Traders wear Johnson & Johnson coats at the NYSE.

Persons: Johnson, J's, Emory Hernandez, Hernandez, Anthony, LTL, Michael Kaplan, Kaplan, —, Jim Cramer, Jim, J, Jim Cramer's, Adam Jeffery Organizations: LTL Management, J, Johnson, — Chemours, DuPont, CNBC, AAA, Pharmaceuticals, Traders, NYSE, & ' $ Locations: California, North America, U.S

☆ Jurors urged to impose heavy punitive damages in J&J talc trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Brendan Pierson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

J&J has consistently denied that its now-discontinued talc baby powder contains asbestos or causes cancer. Satterley asked jurors to award Hernandez punitive damages about nine times greater than so-called compensatory damages, which include $3.8 million for his medical costs as well as damages for pain and suffering. The U.S. Supreme Court has found that punitive damages should generally be no more than nine times compensatory damages, and that a higher ratio can be reduced on appeal as excessive. J&J has said its talc products are safe and do not contain asbestos, which has been linked to mesothelioma. J&J said in bankruptcy court filings that the costs of its talc-related verdicts, settlements and legal fees have reached about $4.5 billion.

Persons: Johnson, Mike Segar, ” Joseph Satterley, Emory Hernandez Valadez, Satterley, Hernandez, Allison Brown, “, Michael Kaplan, LTL, J Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Alameda County Superior Court, U.S, Supreme, LTL Management, LTL’s Locations: California, Johnson, New York, Alameda County, Trenton , New Jersey

The deal has divided lawyers representing cancer victims, many of whom claim that J&J has created the illusion of widespread support for a settlement that would deny plaintiffs just compensation. Johnson & Johnson is attempting to use the second bankruptcy of its subsidiary LTL Management to resolve all current and future claims stemming from its talc products. LTL quickly filed for bankruptcy again, arguing that its second effort has won more support from plaintiffs. The proposed settlement would resolve all of those unfiled claims, as well as any future claim alleging that a J&J talc product caused cancer. Mikal Watts, an attorney who supports the deal and says he has 17,000 talc clients, said that he did not agree with J&J statements about "secured commitments."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Johnson, Johnson's, LTL's, LTL, U.S . Justice Department's, Moshe Maimon, Mikal Watts, Watts, Jim Murdica, Maimon, Murdica, Michael Kaplan, Kaplan, Dietrich Knauth, Alexia Garamfalvi, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Johnson, Management, U.S . Justice, J, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Trenton , New Jersey

☆ J&J's $8.9 billion talc settlement faces US bankruptcy test
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

J&J has said its talc products are safe and do not contain asbestos. Attorneys representing cancer victims, along with the U.S. Justice Department's bankruptcy watchdog, have called for LTL's second bankruptcy to be dismissed as an abuse of U.S. bankruptcy law. Cancer victims who oppose the bankruptcy settlement have said that the second bankruptcy recycles a failed legal strategy to keep their cases from being heard by juries. Circuit Court of Appeals, has said he expects to rule on whether to dismiss LTL's second bankruptcy by early August. Erik Haas, J&J's worldwide vice president for litigation, said in a statement last week that the proposed bankruptcy settlement offers a fairer and faster resolution for cancer claimants than litigation in other courts.

Persons: Johnson, LTL Management's, LTL, U.S . Justice Department's, recycles, Michael Kaplan, Kaplan, LTL's, John Kim, Jim Murdica, Mikal Watts, Erik Haas, J, Watts, Dietrich Knauth, Alexia Garamfalvi, Will Dunham Organizations: Johnson, U.S . Justice, Circuit, J, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, Trenton, Philadelphia, LTL, New York

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowJune 26 (Reuters) - A California man suing Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) told jurors on Monday how his life was upended by a cancer diagnosis that he blames on using the company's baby powder since childhood, as the first trial over the product in nearly two years neared its end. J&J has denied that its baby powder contained asbestos or causes cancer. He also said he did not remember his doctor ever telling him that baby powder caused his cancer. Earlier in the day, jurors heard from Hernandez's mother, Anna Camacho, who said she used large amounts of J&J's baby powder on her son when he was a baby and through childhood. Hernandez's trial, expected to conclude later this week, comes as J&J seeks to resolve thousands of similar talc lawsuits through a settlement.

Persons: Johnson, Emory Hernandez, J, Hernandez, Anthony, Allison Brown, Anna Camacho, Michael Kaplan, Kaplan, Brendan Pierson, Alexia Garamfalvi, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Johnson, Alameda County Superior Court, View, LTL Management, Chief U.S, U.S, Thomson Locations: California, Alameda County, Emory, Trenton , New Jersey, New Jersey, New York

Eli Lilly also is expected to present data on another weight-loss drug called orforglipron, which patients take orally instead of through an injection. Retatrutide, Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Wegovy, produced by rival Novo Nordisk (NVO), are all injectable. But if the data were to fall short of expectations, the analysts don't foresee much downside to J & J shares. However, with JNJ-2113, Morgan Stanley noted that J & J management has touted its efficacy profile "without the baggage of a JAK label." J & J has consistently denied those accusations.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Johnson, Morgan Stanley —, Eli Lilly Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Mounjaro, Lilly's, retatrutide, hasn't, haven't, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, AJ Mast Organizations: American Diabetes Association, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk's, Johnson, American Academy of Dermatology, topline, J's, LTL Management, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, & ' $ Locations: U.S, Novo, Indianapolis , Indiana

☆ US judge rejects 3M effort to resolve earplug lawsuits in bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Friday dismissed the bankruptcy of 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies, rejecting an effort to resolve nearly 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss for veterans and U.S. service members. 3M and Aearo had argued that the earplug litigation had spiraled out of control and could be resolved only in bankruptcy. Graham acknowledged that the earplug litigation was “staggering,” representing 30% of all cases currently pending in the federal district courts. Those appeals could “fundamentally change the trajectory” of the earplug lawsuits, 3M said. 3M’s bankruptcy strategy mirrors a similar effort by Johnson & Johnson, which has attempted to resolve lawsuits through the bankruptcy of a newly created subsidiary, LTL Management.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jeffrey Graham, Aearo, Graham, Bryan Aylstock, Chris Seeger, ” “, ” Aylstock, Seeger, Johnson, J, LTL Organizations: YORK, Aearo Technologies, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, 3M, Aearo, U.S, Circuit, Johnson, LTL Management Locations: U.S, New York City, Indianapolis, Pensacola , Florida, Florida

The company has denied that its talc contains asbestos, which is linked to mesothelioma, or causes cancer. J&J in a statement on Wednesday said it "deeply sympathizes with anyone suffering from cancer and understands they are looking for answers. It is the company's second attempt to resolve talc claims in bankruptcy, after a federal appeals court rejected an earlier bid. Still, the outcome of the trial could influence whether other plaintiffs decide to join in the proposed settlement. J&J and LTL have argued bankruptcy delivers settlement payouts more fairly, efficiently and equitably than a “lottery” offered by trial courts, where some litigants get large awards and others nothing.

Persons: Johnson, Emory Hernandez, Joseph Satterley, Hernandez, Satterley, J, Michael Kaplan, LTL, Brendan Pierson, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Johnson, Wednesday, LTL Management, LTL's, Thomson Locations: Alameda County , California, Trenton , New Jersey, New York

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowNEW YORK, May 16 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) has set aside $400 million to resolve U.S. state consumer protection actions as part of its broader $8.9 billion effort to settle claims that its Baby Powder and other talc products cause cancer. LTL's bankruptcy plan would pay $400 million into a separate trust for claims filed by state attorneys general alleging that J&J violated state unfair business practices and consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about the safety of its talc products. Several states had begun consumer protection actions against J&J before LTL's first bankruptcy filing stopped those investigations from moving forward in 2021. New Mexico and Mississippi said in their motion to dismiss that LTL's renewed bankruptcy violates state law enforcement powers by attempting unilaterally to cap the company's liability for state consumer protection actions. From there, the proposed settlement applies discounts depending on the type and severity of cancer, the individual's age, history of talc use and other factors.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan put most of the litigation temporarily on hold during a hearing in Trenton, New Jersey. J&J says it has broad support for a proposed $8.9 billion settlement, a contention disputed by lawyers representing tens of thousands of talc claimants who oppose it. “I have more questions than answers,” Kaplan said during a Thursday court hearing, referring to arguments made to him about the second bankruptcy case earlier this week. The judge halted roughly 38,000 talc lawsuits consolidated in a federal district court in New Jersey. With regard to other cases, he allowed them to proceed so long as no trials commence.

☆ U.S. bankruptcy judge halts 40,000 Johnson & Johnson talc and cancer lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, a container of Johnson and Johnson baby powder is displayed on April 05, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. A federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday halted roughly 40,000 lawsuits that allege Johnson & Johnson 's baby powder and other talc products caused cancer. Amid the ongoing legal fights, J&J has continued to deny the allegations that its talc products caused cancer. The suits allege J&J's talc products were contaminated with the carcinogen asbestos, which caused ovarian cancer in thousands of individuals. Some lawsuits link several deaths to J&J's talc products.

LTL has said litigation against J&J would imperil its effort to negotiate a comprehensive settlement of all current and future talc claims in its bankruptcy. Before the talc lawsuits could resume, LTL filed for bankruptcy a second time, re-opening the legal battle over the bankruptcy's legitimacy. It has said its second bankruptcy is different because it has less funding available and more plaintiff support for a settlement. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan agreed to protect J&J from lawsuits during LTL's first bankruptcy, saying at the time it offered the best way to fairly resolve all of the talc lawsuits together. Kaplan, who is also presiding over the second bankruptcy, will now decide whether to stop the lawsuits again to give LTL a second shot at a bankruptcy settlement.

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowApril 18 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) on Tuesday cautioned investors over the lingering impact of inflation-driven costs this year as the healthcare conglomerate issued a conservative full-year profit forecast, and its shares fell more than 2%. J&J also said it expected a steep decline in sales of its blockbuster Crohn's disease drug Stelara once it loses U.S. patent protection in late 2023. J&J, the first large drugmaker and medical device manufacturer to report earnings, raised the midpoint of its full-year profit forecast by 10 cents despite beating first-quarter estimates by 18 cents. A recovery in medical procedures after being weighed down by hospital staffing shortages helped the medical device unit post sales of $7.48 billion, topping analysts' estimates of $7.31 billion. Consumer health sales rose 7.4% to $3.85 billion, surpassing estimates of $3.62 billion, powered by price hikes to offset the impact from inflation.

☆ Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) earnings Q1 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Johnson & Johnson shares fell Tuesday after the company reported adjusted earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street's expectations, but lowered its sales guidance for its pharmaceutical business. J&J is now forecasting 2023 sales of $97.9 billion to $98.9 billion, about $1 billion higher than the guidance provided in January. Lawsuits allege the company's talc products were contaminated with the carcinogen asbestos, which caused ovarian cancer in thousands of individuals. Some suits link several deaths to J&J's talc products. Read the full J&J earnings report.

☆ J&J's 2025 drug sales forecast should not be tripping up investors. There's so much else like
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) before-the-bell Tuesday reported a strong first quarter, with sales up more than 5.5% and earnings eking out an annual increase. We're leaning toward the second reason: Management's 2025 Pharmaceutical sales target because J & J's results would have exceeded estimates even without strong vaccine sales. On the post-earning call, management said they see Pharmaceutical sales in 2025 closer to $57 billion than the $60 billion forecast two years ago. While we understand the Street's desire to dig into the 2025 Pharmaceutical sales dynamic, we believe weakness in the stock represents a buying opportunity. That's thanks to increased prices and strong consumer demand, the combination of which speaks to the pricing power of the Johnson & Johnson, soon-to-be Kenvue, brand.

Kaplan said he shared Richenderfer's concerns, but would not take any action to stop LTL's second bankruptcy filing until he gets more information. J&J faces more than 38,000 lawsuits that have been consolidated in federal court in New Jersey alleging that its talc products sometimes contained carcinogenic asbestos, and those cases have been on hold while LTL pursues a bankruptcy settlement. J&J has said its baby powder and other talc products are safe, do not cause cancer or contain asbestos. LTL attorney Greg Gordon said at Tuesday's court hearing that the second bankruptcy is different because the company has fewer assets available and more support for a bankruptcy settlement. Gordon called that an "over the top accusation," saying plaintiffs' support for the settlement is real and substantial.

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowApril 10 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's renewed effort to resolve talc lawsuits through an $8.9 billion bankruptcy settlement must be dismissed as a "fraudulent scheme" that defies a court order rejecting the company's previous attempt to settle the litigation, according to a court filing from lawyers representing cancer victims. Circuit Court of Appeals that it was not in sufficient "financial distress" to qualify for bankruptcy. J&J maintains that its talc products are safe and do not cause cancer. J&J did not provide an estimate of the total number of talc claims it faces when asked. That's especially true for J&J talc cases, because LTL's first bankruptcy stopped new lawsuits from being filed after October 2021, he said.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, FedEx, Pinterest & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Raymond James upgrades FedEx to outperform from market perform Raymond James said and "undeniable" positive change is underway at the shipping giant. "We are initiating coverage of XPO, one of the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, in North America, with an Outperform rating and a $44 target price." "We are initiating coverage of Skyworks Solutions, with a Buy rating and $150 target price. Raymond James upgrades Wells Fargo to strong buy from outperform Raymond James said the banking giant is well positioned in the current environment. Raymond James initiates Pinterest as outperform Raymond James said it sees "steady user growth" for Pinterest.

☆ J&J rises as $9 bln talc lawsuit settlement eases overhang on unit spinoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A bottle of Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder is seen in a photo illustration taken in New York, February 24, 2016. Some analysts were positive about the new settlement that is far bigger than the original offer of $2 billion, as they believe it could bring an end to the lawsuit. J.P. Morgan analyst Chris Schott said in a note the settlement amount was in-line with the brokerage's estimate of $8 billion to $10 billion. "We believe today's announcement should help the IPO of 20% of the consumer unit," Credit Suisse analyst Trung Huynh said in a note. "Overall, we believe the proposed settlement has vast support by the plaintiff supermajority and the top 18 law firms representing the claimants," Jennings said.

☆ Johnson & Johnson Seeks $9 Billion Settlement of Talc Lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Peter Loftus | Andrew Scurria | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Johnson & Johnson has proposed paying at least $8.9 billion to thousands of people who sued the company alleging that their use of J&J’s talc-containing powders caused cancer, in what would be one of the biggest product-liability settlements ever. The company also said Tuesday its LTL Management LLC unit, which J&J had established to deal with the litigation, has refiled for bankruptcy protection to seek approval of the plan to make the payments over 25 years.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, Zions and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A FedEx delivery man is seen on Chestnut Street in San Francisco on January 11, 2023 as atmospheric river storms hit California, United States. Zions Bancorporation — Shares of Zions Bancorporation rose 3.2% after Baird upgraded the regional bank stock to an outperform rating. Lamb Weston — Shares of the potato processing giant were up about 1% ahead of the company's scheduled earnings release on Thursday. FedEx — Shares of the shipping company gained 3.1% in premarket trading after FedEx announced a dividend hike and a corporate reorganization. FedEx said it will raise its dividend by 10%, consolidate its different business divisions and change its executive compensation packages.

☆ J&J rises as $8.9 bln talc lawsuit settlement eases overhang on consumer unit spinoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Nvidia, Palantir, Western Alliance, Johnson & Johnson and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Western Alliance Bancorporation logo is seen in this photo illustration on 13 March, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland. This development would give U.S. government customers and industry partners access to enterprise-grade capabilities by Palantir and Microsoft. Western Alliance also said it has enough liquidity to cover the remaining uninsured deposits. Johnson & Johnson — Shares rose about 3%. Conagra Brands — The packaged goods food company rose 3% after topping Wall Street's expectations on the top and bottom lines for the recent quarter, according to FactSet.

☆ Two reasons why settling JNJ's baby powder litigation is great for shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A resolution to Johnson & Johnson's outstanding talc litigation claims may finally be here — and that's welcome news for the company and its shareholders. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) said it will pay $8.9 billion over the next 25 years to resolve all current and future talc claims. But now that J & J has created a path toward resolving its talc litigation at a steep but very manageable cost of $8.9 billion, the overhang pressure should ease. With the J & J talc litigation overhang nearing an end, the stock deserves to trade back to this level at a minimum. In this photo illustration a bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby powder is displayed on a table on November 12, 2021 in San Anselmo, California.

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