Home News Drug & Device Manufacturers Report: J&J Faces Criminal Investigation into Its Baby Powder
Report: J&J Faces Criminal Investigation into Its Baby Powder
By Terry Turner
The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into whether Johnson & Johnson lied about possible cancer risks associated with its talcum powder products, according to Bloomberg.
The business news organization reported that a federal grand jury is looking into potential criminal charges. The article cited unnamed sources that had knowledge of the probe.
The Justice Department investigation reportedly focuses on whether company officials were aware of cancer-causing substances in their products and whether they tried to hide the fact from regulators and the public.
Johnson & Johnson announced in a February 2019 financial filing that it was cooperating with three separate federal investigations. But it did not disclose whether the Justice Department probe was civil or criminal in nature.
The company told Bloomberg it was still cooperating with all three probes. Neither the company nor the Justice Department has been willing to comment on the nature of the investigation.
News of Investigation Comes as Three J&J Talcum Powder Lawsuits Head to Trial
Johnson & Johnson faces more than 14,000 talcum powder lawsuits filed by consumer who claim the company's talc-based products caused their cancer. Three lawsuits were headed to trial just as the grand jury story broke.
The lawsuits in Kentucky, California and New Jersey all claim Johnson & Johnson's talc products were contaminated with asbestos that either caused mesothelioma or contributed to its cause. Asbestos is a mineral often found near talc deposits and is the leading cause of mesothelioma, an almost always fatal form of cancer.
Other lawsuits claim the products caused ovarian cancer. More than 12,600 ovarian cancer lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson have been combined into a single litigation in a New Jersey federal court. As of June 2019, it was the third largest mass litigation in the United States based on the number of lawsuits involved.
Juries have awarded more than $5 billion to people who've won talc lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson. The company has appealed every talc cancer case it has lost. But it also faces securities lawsuits that claim it cost investors profits by failing to disclose possible asbestos contamination of its talc.
Legal experts told Bloomberg that an ongoing criminal case could make it harder for Johnson & Johnson to settle the mounting number of civil lawsuits over its talc products. Plaintiffs in those lawsuits may want to see if the company eventually faces criminal charges. If that happens, it could help them in their lawsuits.
Diagnosed with cancer after talcum powder use?
J&J Said in February It Was Cooperating with Three Government Inquiries
Johnson & Johnson admitted in February 2019 that it was cooperating with three separate federal investigations. It disclosed the information in its annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
"The company is cooperating with these government inquiries and will be producing documents in response."
Buried on page 86 of the filing, Johnson & Johnson reported it had received "preliminary inquiries and subpoenas" to produce documents relating to issues raised in the various talc lawsuits it faces. The requests came from the Justice Department, the SEC, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
"The company is cooperating with these government inquiries and will be producing documents in response," Johnson & Johnson wrote in its report.
Company Documents Discussed Cancer Risks Decades Ago
Internal documents showed that Johnson & Johnson talc tested positive for asbestos contamination as early as 1971, according to a Reuters investigation published in December 2018.
The documents showed executives, scientists and other company leaders discussed what to do about the problem for 30 years. During all that time, no one at the company revealed the problem to regulators or the general public. And Johnson & Johnson continued to aggressively market its talc products as a daily hygiene extra.
New Research Sheds Light on How Talc May Cause Cancer
Amy Keller, RN June 27, 2019
The barrage of lawsuits has revealed many of these formerly secret documents. And their existence has helped fuel the federal subpoenas for more information.
The Bloomberg report says a federal grand jury was seated after the Justice Department's fraud division began investigating Johnson & Johnson. Legal experts said its possible investigators are weighing whether the company committed fraud by knowingly hiding cancer risks and whether it broke any securities fraud violations as well.
https://www.drugwatch.com/news/2019/07/18/jj-faces-criminal-investigation-baby-powder/
Written By Terry Turner Writer
Terry Turner has been writing articles and producing news broadcasts for more than 25 years. He covers FDA policy, proton pump inhibitors, and medical devices such as hernia mesh, IVC filters, and hip and knee implants. An Emmy-winning journalist, he has reported on health and medical policy issues before Congress, the FDA and other federal agencies. Some of his qualifications include:
American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) and The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates member
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Literacy certificates
Original works published or cited in Washington Examiner, MedPage Today and The New York Times
Appeared as an expert panelist on hernia mesh lawsuits on the BBC
Feeley, J. (2019, July 12). J&J Denials of Asbestos in Baby Powder Spur Criminal Probe. Bloomberg. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-12/j-j-denials-of-asbestos-in-baby-powder-spur-u-s-criminal-probe
Feeley, J. (2019, July 13). U.S. Examines J&J Talc Claims. Bloomberg via Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jul/13/u-s-examines-j-j-talc-claims-20190713/
Girion, L. (2018, December 14). Special Report: J&J Knew for Decades that Asbestos Lurked in Its Baby Powder. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-cancer-special-report/special-report-jj-knew-for-decades-that-asbestos-lurked-in-its-baby-powder-idUSKBN1OD1RQ
Johnson & Johnson. (2019, February 20). Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved from https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/200406/000020040619000009/form10-k20181230.htm
Lovelace, B. (2019, July 12). J&J Drops 4% on Report DOJ Investigating Allegations Company Lied About Talc Cancer Risks. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/12/jj-drops-4percent-on-report-doj-investigating-allegations-company-lied-about-talc-cancer-risks.html
Picchi, A. (2019, February 21). Johnson & Johnson Says U.S. Investigating Johnson's Baby Powder. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/johnson-johnson-says-u-s-investigating-johnsons-baby-powder-over-asbestos-claims/
Reuters. (2019, July 12). J&J Faces U.S. Criminal Probe Related to Baby Powder-Bloomberg. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-talc-probe/jj-faces-u-s-criminal-probe-related-to-baby-powder-bloomberg-idUSKCN1U726J
Siegel, D. (2019, July 12). J&J Faces Cosmetic Talc Trials in California, Kentucky and New Jersey – CVN to Webcast All 3. Courtroom View Network. Retrieved from https://blog.cvn.com/jj-faces-cosmetic-talc-trials-in-california-kentucky-and-new-jersey-cvn-to-webcast-all-3
Diagnosed with ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after talcum powder use?
Unsealed Emails Reveal J&J's Influence on Talc and Cancer Report
Michelle Llamas December 15, 2021
Jury Awards Cancer Patient $26.5M in J&J Talcum Powder Lawsuit
Michelle Llamas October 19, 2021
Supreme Court Won't Hear Johnson & Johnson Appeal of $2 Billion Talc Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit
Michelle Llamas June 14, 2021
Johnson & Johnson Settles 1,000 Talc Lawsuits for $100M