Credit: REUTERS/Shannon StapletonAdds company statement, context
Oct 29 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N said on Tuesday that 15 new tests from the same bottle of its baby powder previously tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no asbestos.
The test results mark J&J's latest defense against allegations its baby powder contains asbestos, a known carcinogen that has been linked to deadly mesothelioma.
"Rigorous and third-party testing confirms there is no asbestos in Johnson's baby powder. We stand by the safety of our product," the company said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson recalled around 33,000 bottles of baby powder in the United States after U.S. health regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in samples taken from a bottle purchased online.
That move marked the first time the company recalled its iconic baby powder for possible asbestos contamination, and the first time U.S. regulators have announced a finding of asbestos in the product.
The recall was the latest blow to the more than 130-year-old U.S. healthcare conglomerate that is facing thousands of lawsuits over a variety of products, including baby powder, opioids, medical devices and the antipsychotic Risperdal.
J&J faces more than 15,000 lawsuits from consumers claiming its talc products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder, caused their cancer.
(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Tom Brown)
((manojna.kalyani@thomsonreuters.com; within the U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside the U.S. +91 80 6749 1692;))
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