A state appeals court reinstated a lawsuit Tuesday by the widow of a Solano County man who died of cancer after using [ Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder ] for most of his life. A judge had dismissed the suit by Douglas Strobel and his wife, Jo Ann Strobel, saying their medical witnesses had no firsthand evidence that the talcum in [ Johnson … [Read more...]
Chemical Firm BASF and Its Law Firm to Pay $72.5M to Close Talcum-Asbestos Claims
BASF SE, the world’s biggest chemical maker, and a law firm agreed to pay a combined $72.5 million to resolve claims they hid evidence that certain talc products contained asbestos in an effort to scuttle thousands of lawsuits. Executives of BASF, along with lawyers from the New York-based Cahill, Gordon & Reindel LLP, agreed to the joint … [Read more...]
Johnson & Johnson to stop selling talc baby powder in U.S. and Canada
Johnson & Johnson will stop selling its talc Baby Powder in the United States and Canada, it announced on Tuesday, saying demand had fallen in the wake of what it called “misinformation” about the product’s safety amid a barrage of legal challenges. J&J faces more than 19,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming its talc … [Read more...]
Imerys signs agreement to end talc litigation in the United States
Imerys announced on May 15 that it had reached agreement on a plan to end the [ talcum powder – asbestos litigation ] that resulted in the Chapter 11 (receivership) placement of its North American subsidiaries Imerys Talc America, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada. The group had announced at the end of 2018 that these three subsidiaries, … [Read more...]
FDA to hold public meeting on testing for asbestos in talc
For the first time in nearly 50 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will examine asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics at a hearing on [ February 4, 2020 ]. Regulators are taking a closer look [ at asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics ] after finding asbestos, a known carcinogen, in several talc cosmetics and … [Read more...]
US FDA stands by asbestos talc results following J&J error claims
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it stands by its test results showing that samples of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder contained traces of asbestos. The agency’s position, shared with Chemical Watch this week, follows a December statement from the personal care giant J&J refuting an FDA test that [ found … [Read more...]
J&J CEO to testify at trial for first time on Baby Powder risks
ohnson & Johnson Chief Executive Officer Alex Gorsky was set to be called as a witness on [ January 27, 2020 ] in what would be his first appearance in a jury trial over allegations that the company’s Baby Powder causes cancer. Lawyers for three men and one woman who sued J&J subpoenaed [ Alex Gorsky ] in a trial playing out in a state … [Read more...]
Powder Keg: FDA bowed to industry for decades as alarms were sounded over talc
At an invitation-only gathering late last year, U.S. regulators and their guests huddled at a hotel near Washington, D.C., to discuss the best way to detect cancer-causing asbestos in talc powders and cosmetics. The “Asbestos in Talc Symposium,” sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration [ and intended to investigate asbestos in talc powders … [Read more...]
Recall: FDA Sees Trace Asbestos in J&J Baby Powder
A shipment of baby powder has been recalled by Johnson & Johnson after U.S. authorities found asbestos in it. The recall comes after months of denial from the company about the presence of the cancer-causing substance in its talc-based products, The New York Times reported [October 19, 2019]. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration … [Read more...]
U.S. senator asks J&J for documents on talc, baby powder safety
U.S. Democratic Senator Patty Murray sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday seeking information related to allegations in a Reuters Special Report that the healthcare company knew about the presence of asbestos in its talc-based baby powder. The letter addressed to J&J Chief Executive Alex Gorsky asks for documents and information … [Read more...]