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Johnson & Johnson announced this week it will stop selling talc-based baby powder. The company claims the decision is due to declining demand for the products. Johnson & Johnson does have a cornstarch-based product that will continue to be sold.

Johnson & Johnson currently faces thousands of cancer injury lawsuits related to its talc baby powder products. In addition to thousands of personal injury lawsuits, the company is also being jointly investigated by multiple states. Why? These states are investigating whether the company was honest in marketing the safety of its talcum powder products.

In April, the Federal Judge overseeing more than 16,000 talc-powder lawsuits, rejected Johnson & Johnson’s legal effort to exclude the testimony of plaintiffs’ expert witness. That ruling clears the way for these lawsuits to proceed to trial or settlement.

By removing the product from the market, Johnson & Johnson does place an end date on potential exposures. Several other sellers of talc-based products have already replaced the mineral with cornstarch as an ingredient.

On my law firm website, I have a page devoted to talcum powder cancer. Johnson & Johnson’s decision to pull talc-based baby powder from the market is a long time coming! Studies as far back as 1971 suggested talcum powder was related to ovarian cancer. In 2013, a prominent cancer journal published research indicating women who regularly use talcum powder for feminine hygiene may have a 20%-30% increased risk of ovarian cancer. That’s a huge risk of developing a deadly cancer.

If you have questions about Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products and cancer, let us know. We are continuing to investigate potential claims on behalf of Alabama consumers. We are closely following both legal and business developments related to these products.

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From its office in Huntsville, the Blackwell Law Firm represents people across Alabama. The firm focuses all its work on cases involving serious personal injury.