Johnson & Johnson suspends sales of baby powder containing talc globally

• Johnson & Johnson will suspend the sale of its baby powder containing talc.
• The company has fielded 38,000 lawsuits linking its long-term use to cancer.
• J&J insists that baby powder with talc is safe and does not cause cancer.

The pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson announced on Thursday that, in 2023 it will suspend the sale of its baby powder containing talc worldwide, two years after doing so in the US and Canada. The company has been hounded by thousands of complaints about the safety of the product, according to EFE.

In a brief note, the company said it had made a «business decision» to substitute cornstarch for talc in the product after facing some 38,000 lawsuits linking its long-term use to the development of cancer. However, they continued to deny that the product was the cause.

Johnson & Johnson suspends sale of baby powder containing talc

At the end of 2018, information was released indicating that J&J had known for decades that its talcum powder may be tainted with asbestos, a known carcinogen.

Since then, J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits accusing the manufacturer of having contributed to the development of ovarian cancer in women as well as mesothelioma. The company denies these claims and said that each year they have had to spend millions of dollars on litigation.

Is Johnson & Johnson baby powder carcinogenic?

“Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of scientific analysis by medical experts around the world confirming that Johnson’s Baby Talcum Powder is safe, contains no asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” the firm stated.

The company faces other legal problems in the US and agreed earlier this year to pay millions of dollars to several states, along with other large drug distributors, for their responsibility in the opioid crisis.

“Baby powder is safe and does not cause cancer”

The company has faced litigation alleging that its talcum powder caused ovarian cancer, due to its use for feminine hygiene, as well as mesothelioma, a cancer that attacks the lungs and other organs. J&J insists, and the vast majority of medical research on talc indicates, that baby powder is safe and does not cause cancer, according to the AP.

However, demand for the company’s baby powder fell, and J&J phased out the talc-based product in most of North America in 2020. The company did so after it saw demand drop due to «misleading advertising of talc litigation that caused global confusion and unfounded concern” about the safety of the product, a company spokeswoman said.

J&J makes decision

J&J said the change announced Thursday night will simplify its product selection and meet evolving global trends. Last October, J&J said a separate subsidiary it created to manage talc litigation claims had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

J&J said then that it financed the subsidiary, called LTL Management, and set up a $2 billion trust to pay claims the bankruptcy court determines it owes. The health care giant also said last fall that it will convert its consumer health business, which sells baby powder, band aids and other products, into a separate publicly traded company. The portion of the company that sells prescription drugs and medical devices will retain the J&J name.