Johnson & Johnson Discontinues Talc Powder in U.S., Canada
- Health giant calls move a commercial decision after sales drop
- Lawsuits have accused company of hiding cancer risks from talc
Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg
Johnson & Johnson discontinued its legacy talc-based baby-powder products in the U.S. and Canada after thousands of suits alleging asbestos contamination led to a decline in sales.
The health-care giant said Tuesday it had stopped shipping hundreds of talc-based items in the U.S. and Canada after coming to a “commercial decision” to discontinue them. J&J will wind down sales in those markets over the coming months, said Kathleen Widmer, chairman of the company’s North America consumer unit. All existing inventory will continue to be sold through retailers until supplies run out, she said. J&J first began selling baby-powder products in the 1890s, according to a company blog.
J&J has faced lawsuits accusing it of hiding the cancer risks tied its talc-based version of baby powder since 2014. Juries across the U.S. have hit the company with billions of dollars in actual and punishment damages over their handling of the product. J&J has been successful in getting many of those verdicts reduced or wiped out on appeal.