Johnson & Johnson is facing thousands of lawsuits alleging there’s asbestos in talcum powder products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen that occurs naturally in the environment. Talc and asbestos often are found close together in nature when talc is mined. Sometimes, streaks of asbestos run through a lump of talc.

According to an investigative report by the New York Times, Johnson & Johnson allegedly knew for several decades that asbestos contaminated its talc products, but hid the fact from regulators and the public.

In its exposé, the Times reported that Johnson & Johnson’s chief executive Alex Gorsky signed a Business Roundtable agreement that said businesses such as J&J should have an “essential role” in the betterment of society.

The Times pointed out that despite Gorsky signing such a pledge, Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries are facing literally thousands of lawsuits alleging the company’s talcum powders, pelvic mesh implants, opioids, anticoagulants and antipsychotic pills are inherently dangerous and sometimes deadly.

Allegations of Asbestos in Talcum Powder

Talc products are not tested by any government regulatory body before the merchandise is placed on the market. According to the Times, the world of talc products has been closed off from outside regulation, leaving the manufacturers to self-regulate and self-report in-house test results.

In December 2018, Reuters published an investigation of Johnson & Johnson’s talc history that included confidential documents that were shared because of court orders during trials. Reuters found that Johnson & Johnson knew that the raw talc material and sometimes even the final powders at times tested positive for asbestos as far back as 1971.

Today, Johnson & Johnson is facing more than 15,000 lawsuits that allege asbestos in talcum powder caused mesothelioma or ovarian cancer.

Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of an organ, is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Seventy-five percent of mesothelioma diagnoses are pleural mesothelioma, which starts in the lining of the lungs.

Asbestos fibers inhaled decades ago can become stuck deep in the lungs where they fester and eventually give rise to mesothelioma. According to WebMD.com, there are nearly 3,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S.

Mesothelioma is very difficult to treat, often because it is not discovered until it is at an advanced stage. Most victims die within two years of a diagnosis.

According to CBS Los Angeles, on Oct. 1, 2019, a Los Angeles jury awarded an Idaho woman $40.3 million because she convinced them using Johnson & Johnson talc-based powders caused her to develop mesothelioma.

The company tried to point to the fact that the woman had lived in an industrial part of L.A. during her time living in California, which is how she could have been exposed to asbestos. The jury didn’t buy that because the woman had never worked at or even entered any industrial facility.

In December 2018, Johnson & Johnson lost an attempt to overturn a $4.69 billion award to 22 women who sued the company, alleging asbestos in its talcum powders caused them all to develop ovarian cancer.