Johnson & Johnson is pulling out baby powder containing talc worldwide next year after it did the same in the US and Canada, amid thousands of lawsuits claiming it caused cancer.
Talc will be replaced with cornstarch, the company said.
The company has faced lawsuits alleging that its talcum powder caused consumers to develop ovarian cancer, through use in feminine hygiene products, or mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lungs and Affects other organs.
J&J insists, and the overwhelming majority of medical research on talc indicates that talc baby powder is safe and does not cause cancer.
However, demand for the company's baby powder declined, and J&J phased out talc-based products in most of North America in 2020.
A company spokesperson said after seeing a drop in demand due to "misleading telco litigation advertising that caused global confusion and unfounded concern".
J&J said the change, announced late Thursday, will simplify its product selection and meet global trends.
Last October, J&J said a separate subsidiary it created to manage claims from telco litigation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
J&J then said it financed a subsidiary called LTL Management, and set up a $2 billion trust to pay claims the bankruptcy court determined it owed.
The healthcare giant last
It also said in the fall that it would spin off its consumer health business — which sells baby powder, Band-Aids and other products — into a separate publicly traded company. The part of the company that sells prescription drugs and medical devices will carry the J&J name.
Shares of New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson rose slightly before the opening bell on Friday. The stock has outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average, of which J&J has been a member for most of the year.
