EXPLAIN YOURSELVES

Johnson & Johnson Subpoenaed Over Asbestos Baby-Powder Litigation

Powder allegedly contained small amounts of cancer-causing asbestos.

Johnson & Johnson has been subpoenaed by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities & Exchange Commission in relation to litigation over alleged asbestos contamination in its baby powder. J&J said Wednesday that it had received the subpoenas and intends to “cooperate fully with these inquiries and will continue to defend the company in the talc-related litigation.” A report from Reuters in December alleged that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that small amounts of cancer-causing asbestos had been occasionally found in its products—but didn’t tell regulators or the public. J&J said the newly revealed federal inquiries “are related to news reports that included inaccurate statements and also withheld crucial information” and that “decades of independent tests by regulators and the world’s leading labs prove Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder is safe and asbestos-free, and does not cause cancer.”