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Epidemiology Professor Testifies that Talc Products Increase Ovarian Cancer and Mesothelioma Risk
As ovarian cancer and mesothelioma victims continue seeking justice from Johnson & Johnson, the three families whose case is currently being heard in a Los Angeles courtroom had their claim strengthened yesterday by testimony from an epidemiology professor. Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman of the University of California, San Francisco, told the jury that multiple studies have…
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Global Study Shows North American Mesothelioma Declines, Others Rising
A comprehensive study analyzing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related deaths in the Americas from 1990 to 2023 shows that, though North America had the highest mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancer burden in 2023, incidence rates are also declining rapidly. At the same time, the report showed that there’s been an alarming increase among women in Southern Latin…
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Shipyard Worker Blames Take-Home Asbestos Exposure for Wife’s Mesothelioma Death
Joseph Raymond Steib, Sr. lost his wife of 43 years to mesothelioma that he blames on workplace asbestos he unwittingly carried into their family home. Elaine Weber Steib was diagnosed with the rare form of cancer in April 2024 and died just two months later. The former shipyard worker filed a wrongful death claim against…
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At Ovarian Cancer Baby Powder Trial, Former Commissioner Says J&J “Misled the FDA”
Testifying to a Los Angeles jury about claims Johnson & Johnson’s talc products caused three women’s deadly ovarian cancer, Dr. David A. Kessler detailed an internal document showing J&J’s concern over an FDA proposal to test talc instead of relying on industry self-testing. The former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner has stated that the…
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Washington Supreme Court Allows Mesothelioma Victim’s Family to Continue Lawsuit
Reversing what originally appeared to be a legal defeat, the Washington Supreme Court has ruled that the estate of an oil refinery worker can still bring mesothelioma claims against an insulation company over its role as a seller of asbestos-containing products. A lower court had originally halted Lee Hetterly’s family’s case on the grounds that…
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Appeals Court Revives Mesothelioma Lawsuit Against Union Carbide
Judges from California’s appellate court gave new life to a lawsuit filed by a mesothelioma victim against Union Carbide. Alvarino F. DaSilva and his wife, Dianna, had previously seen their claim against the company dismissed by an Alameda County Superior Court judge, but the appeals court agreed that the lower court’s decision was made in…
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Jury Told that Johnson & Johnson Knew its Baby Powder Contained Asbestos
This week, a California jury heard opening statements in the latest trial pitting Johnson & Johnson against mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims. This is the second ovarian cancer case to move forward since the company abandoned its bankruptcy effort, and attorneys for the families of three women wasted no time in saying that J&J knew…
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Study Shows Impact of Asbestos Decades After Mines Closed
Decades after South Africa banned asbestos mining, former miners continue dying from mesothelioma and other long-term effects of exposure. According to new University of Cape Town research, those working in the deadly industry experienced an overall mortality 4% higher than the general population. Notably, mortality among women who worked in the asbestos mines was 17%…
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Study to Test Mesothelioma Risk from Asbestos in Children’s Play Sand
Concerns about the risk of mesothelioma have led researchers in New Zealand to begin world-first testing of whether asbestos fibers found in children’s play sand become airborne. The issue has become critical as growing instances of contaminated sand and other toys have raised the question of whether the mineral poses an inhalation risk to children,…
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J&J Mesothelioma & Ovarian Cancer Claims Will Proceed After Bankruptcy Filings Fail
Over the last few years, Johnson & Johnson has repeatedly attempted to evade compensating mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims through a controversial bankruptcy strategy known as the “Texas Two-Step.” With its attempt rejected by bankruptcy courts for a third time, the company has indicated it will turn to defending itself against individual claims in court.…
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Study Shows Immune Cell Clusters Predict Which Mesothelioma Patients Will Live Longer
Scientists have discovered that mesothelioma patients whose tumors contain organized clusters of immune cells, called B cells, live significantly longer than patients without these clusters. This finding may help doctors both predict survival and develop new treatments for the deadly asbestos-related cancer.
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Mesothelioma Fears Spur Recalls of Dozens of Asbestos-containing Children’s Toys in the UK
In the last three months, mesothelioma fears have led to more than 30 children’s toys being recalled in the United Kingdom after asbestos was found in play sand. The discovery of the toxic fibers in Hobbycraft’s toy led to further testing and the government taking action against products ranging from candle-making kits to stretchy rubber…
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Louisiana Man’s Lung Cancer Blamed on Asbestos at Avondale Shipyard and Shell Facilities
After years of working as a welder, boilermaker, and insulator at Avondale Shipyards and multiple Shell oil facilities, Henry Vicknair of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, was diagnosed with lung cancer related to asbestos exposure. The federal lawsuit he filed accuses multiple companies of negligence, premises liability, and other wrongs that led to his occupational exposure to…
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Congress Works to Stop Bankruptcy Strategy Impacting Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Members of Congress have reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at stopping the controversial “Texas Two-Step,” a bankruptcy maneuver that’s been used to interfere with mesothelioma and other asbestos disease claims. The strategy has allowed highly profitable companies to dodge accountability while forcing victims into extensive legal delays.
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Phase I Trial of New Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Mesothelioma
According to early results from an ongoing Phase I dose-escalation clinical trial, an innovative CAR T cell therapy called KIR-CAR has demonstrated safety and increasing effectiveness at higher doses in nine patients with advanced ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, or cholangiocarcinoma. The news was recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting.
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Asbestos Advocacy Group Sues EPA Over Delay in Ruling Meant to Prevent Mesothelioma
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is meant to protect Americans from the risks posed by dangerous materials like asbestos, which causes mesothelioma and other serious illnesses. This week, the nonprofit group the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of violating the law…
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Study Shows Multiple Genetic Subtypes of Mesothelioma, each Requiring Different Treatments
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FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Mesothelioma Treatment
A new mesothelioma treatment targeting the Hippo signaling pathway has been granted Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The decision means that Orion Pharma will receive special tax credits, user fee exemptions, and eligibility for seven-year market exclusivity for its investigational drug.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Decides Mesothelioma Claim in Favor of Independent Contractor
Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court handed down a decision likely to have far-reaching repercussions for mesothelioma victims. The court decided that Pabst Brewing Company owed a duty of care to a union steamfitter who’d been exposed to asbestos on their premises, despite the man having been an independent contractor rather than the company’s…
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Daughters’ Motion to Exclude Collateral Payment Evidence from Mesothelioma Trial Granted
A Louisiana federal court has granted a request to keep evidence of collateral source payments out of a mesothelioma wrongful death case against Avondale Shipyard. The decision means that information about insurance, Social Security, Medicare, or other independent income received by the victim’s family is excluded from the trial.
