J&J to stop selling talc-based baby powder in US, Canada

By LINDA A. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer
FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. (AP) — Johnson & Johnson is ending sales of its iconic talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada. The product faces nearly 20,000 lawsuits claiming it caused ovarian cancer or mesothelioma. J&J said Tuesday the discontinuation only affects the U.S. and Canada, where demand has been declining, partly due to lawyers’ ads seeking people to join lawsuits. J&J has won or is appealing all the lawsuits that have come to trial. New Jersey-based J&J said the decision to stop making the talcum powder was part of a move to discontinue about 100 consumer health products to prioritize high-demand products and to allow for appropriate social distancing in manufacturing and distribution facilities.