In December 2018, Reuters published a Special Report alleging that Johnson & Johnson knew that between the 1970s and 2000s, its talc products sometimes tested positive for asbestos but did not warn consumers or federal regulators about these test results.
In response to the allegations presented in the Special Report, U.S. Democratic Senator Patty Murray requested information from J&J and documentation about product testing and how those test results were provided to consumers and regulators.
Consumers across the country are holding Johnson & Johnson responsible for its products. In fact, more than 11,000 lawsuits have been filed against J&J alleging the company’s talc products caused cancer.
Johnson & Johnson maintains that its talc products are safe and pure and says that thousands of independent tests conducted globally have confirmed this. However, that isn’t enough for the Senator, or for the people and families who lost loved ones or who are battling a cancer diagnosis.
In the letter Murray sent to J&J she stated that she was troubled by reports that the pharmaceutical giant possibly misled consumers and regulators about the safety of products, including those that may have caused long-term harms to women, children, and men who used them.
The Senator asked the company to send documentation that supports J&Js claims that talc products currently on the market do not contain any level of asbestos, as well as lab test documentation, and its communications with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about talc products safety from 1966 to the present.
According to the Reuters Special Report, tainted talc was firm mentioned in the 1950s when a consulting lab reported fibrous or needle-like tremolite in talc from J&J’s supplier. Tremolite in its fibrous form is classified as asbestos. The news service also reported that clear into the 2000s, similar results were reported by J&J’s own scientists, suppliers, and by outside labs.
In 1976, J&J assured FDA regulators that asbestos was not detected in any of the samples tested between winter 1972 and fall 1973. But according to Reuters, at least three tests conducted by three different laboratories found asbestos in the talc samples, and at least one reported the levels were rather high.
Lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts around the country, and while many cases are pending, some have been resolved. In fact, juries in California and New Jersey have awarded millions to plaintiffs who blamed talc products made by J&J for their cancer. In St. Louis, a jury awarded 22 plaintiffs $4.69 billion in damages. J&J has said it will appeal the verdicts and blamed junk science, juror confusion, and unfair rules for its losses.
If you or someone you love developed cancer after talc powder exposure, contact us now. We have helped millions of clients get billions in damages for the injuries they have suffered, and we stand ready to fight for you today. Contact us now to learn more.
