[:en]Johnson & Johnson is taking its baby powder case to consumers. A new print and online ad will begin running this week contending “Our talc is safe” and asking people to read the scientific evidence for themselves.
Marketing Defense:
“Science. Not sensationalism.” That’s the ad’s headline, accompanied by a simple image of the iconic white bottle of Johnson’s baby powder and six paragraphs that explain J&J’s position.
An accompanying statement from J&J refutes point by point the source of the renewed talc concerns—a Reuters special report published on Friday titled “J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder.” J&J’s lengthy rebuttal goes through the article’s claims and repeatedly accuses the news outlet of omitting information that J&J said it supplied.
“The information Reuters relied upon has been publicly available for years,” reads the statement in part. “It is unfortunate that while Reuters was provided with many of these detailed facts, they elected not to report them.”
The J&J statement lays out scientific tests, court cases, previous news reporting and a cadre of health and safety regulatory bodies and organizations that it says refute the news report.
Accusations and Denials:
J&J concludes with an accusation that Reuters refused to meet with J&J to discuss the issue further: “Reuters claims that ‘J&J declined to comment further for this article’ even though Reuters was provided with extensive documents—most of which were not included in the article. J&J offered numerous times to meet with Reuters in person to discuss with appropriate experts all of its allegations, and each time Reuters refused.”
Financial Changes:
J&J has ample reason to defend itself. Its stock price dropped by more than 10% on the news Friday, plummeting from $147 per share to as low as $130.
J&J has been defending its baby brand’s flagship product for several years in lawsuits alleging that the product causes ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. While the healthcare conglomerate has so far won some of the cases and lost others, the ongoing lawsuits impact J&J’s corporate image, as the baby powder is so closely identified with the parent company.
Jere Beasley, founder of Beasley Allen law firm, who is a partner with our firm on these types of cases was quoted stating that “It is outrageous, but we are not shocked by the news that Johnson & Johnson covered up the dangers of its talcum products for decades. “These products have killed a number of our clients’ family members and many others, yet Johnson & Johnson continues to deny, deny, deny any culpability in the deaths linked to its products over the years. It is a true shame that it has taken this long to expose the company’s deception. J&J has lied to the government regulators, the American Cancer Society and, more importantly, the women and men who used the talc products.”
I have been injured as a result of using Johnson and Johnson baby powder. What options are available to me?
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer or mesothelioma as a result of using baby powder, contact our office at (303) 327-9988 to schedule a free consultation and speak with one of our experienced attorneys. Please also visit our practice area page on talcum powder and ovarian cancer here for additional information.
