New Delhi: Johnson & Johnson, a leading US pharmaceutical company, announced on Thursday that it will stop selling its contentious talc-based baby powder globally effective in 2023.

Already stooped in US & Canada

Two years after J&J stopped selling its products in the USA and Canada, the company announced that it would stop doing so abroad. The business also announced that it would switch from talc-based baby powder to cornstarch-based baby powder.

“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio. As a result of this transition, talc-based J&J Baby Powder will be discontinued globally in 2023.” read the company’s statement.

Contains asbestos?

J&J talcum powders, particularly baby powders, have been the subject of debate for years due to claims that they contain asbestos, a known cancer-causing substance. Consumers and survivors who claim to have been harmed by using the product have filed more than 38,000 lawsuits.

Despite the suspension of sales, the pharmaceutical giant maintained in its statement that its product was safe.

“Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirms talc-based J&J Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.”

A Reuters report previously revealed that J&J knew about the harmful effects of its product, according to internal memos circulated within the company. However, it doubled down on its sales by targeting the African American and overweight women market.

Playing Texas two-step

Additionally, J&J employed a tactic known as the “Texas two-step” in February of this year to obtain a stay on the complaints in an effort to avoid the protracted legal battles. According to reports, J&J shifted responsibility for their baby powder to a recently created subsidiary called LTL Management.

The aforementioned corporation succeeded to get the court’s approval for its bankruptcy filing. It is important to remember that individual lawsuits are suspended in bankruptcy situations, therefore J&J was able to circumvent the legal system by taking advantage of a loophole.