World’s biggest pharmaceutic giant Johnson & Johnson is using asbestos in their baby powder, claims Reuters. The news agency also revealed that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that its baby powder contained asbestos. The company is facing multiple lawsuits currently and this information revealed by Reuters can bring more trouble to Johnson & Johnson.
In the lawsuit, more than 9,000 plaintiffs have claimed that the baby powder contains asbestos and caused ovarian and other cancers. In a major setback to the company, St. Louis jury in July had awarded nearly $4.7 billion in total damages to 22 women and their families after they claimed asbestos in Johnson & Johnson talcum powder contributed to their ovarian cancer in the first case against the company that focused on asbestos in the powder.
An investigation conducted by Reuters said that, based on examination of documents, deposition and trial testimony shows that “from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company’s raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos, and that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public.”