For years, consumers have filed lawsuits alleging that cancer they developed after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder products was directly caused by asbestos in talcum powder products.

Johnson & Johnson has always steadfastly denied these claims, insisting that their talcum baby powder products were perfectly safe to use and did not contain asbestos.

But according to a major Reuters report published in December 2018, Johnson & Johnson was aware for decades that testing had revealed asbestos in talcum powder products it sold. This comes after years of the medical and pharmaceutical giant denied claims that their baby powder products had asbestos, fighting against countless lawsuits with these allegations in that time.

Reuters said that decades of documents, from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, show that testing for products sometimes showed trace amounts of asbestos in talcum powder.

In response to the Reuters report, Johnson & Johnson’s stock immediately fell a whopping 10 percent—accounting for about $40 billion of its market value.

Johnson & Johnson stock has not taken such a severe dive since July 2002, when federal regulators investigated allegations of false record-keeping at a plant responsible for an anemia drug that had been linked with severe complications. In that instance, the stock dropped 16 percent.

In the wake of the Reuters article, Johnson & Johnson maintains that the accusations are “one-sided, false and inflammatory” and that “Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder is safe and asbestos-free.”

However, in February 2019, the company was subpoenaed by various facets of the United States government—including the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission—seeking information related to these allegations. The company is “cooperating with these inquiries,” it said in a statement.

Asbestos in Talcum Powder

Asbestos is a well-known carcinogen, or substance capable of causing cancer. While it was once commonly used commercially for countless products from building insulation to car parts and more, asbestos has been linked with mesothelioma cancer and lung cancer and has since become much more thoroughly regulated.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Asbestos in Talcum Powder

Lawsuits allege that Johnson & Johnson knew about the risk posed by asbestos in talcum powder, and knew that its own baby powder products sometimes tested positive for trace amounts of the carcinogen, yet concealed this information from consumers for decades, instead choosing to actively market the product as safe and effective.

In July, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay a record $4.69 billion to a group of 22 plaintiffs who filed litigation over asbestos in talcum powder products that allegedly led to the development of ovarian cancer.

If you or someone you love has suffered from asbestos cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos in talcum powder, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. While filing a lawsuit cannot undo the pain and suffering incurred by asbestos cancer, it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.