Johnson & Johnson is suing four authors of studies suggesting a link between talcum powder use and cancer risk

In recent years, J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits—more than 38,000—accusing it of contributing to the development of ovarian cancer in consumers of the product.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has filed lawsuits against four physicians who are the authors of studies linking the company’s long-term use of talcum powder to the development of cancer.

Doctors Richard Craden, Teresa Emory, and John Maddox are the latest targets of the American pharmaceutical company, which in May of this year opened a lawsuit against Doctor Jacqueline Moulin, author of a study published in 2019 in which 33 patients who said they were exposed to the disease took part. I was exposed to asbestos as a result of using the company’s talcum powder.

This particular article by Mullen was the starting point for the investigation by Kradin, Emory, and Maddox, who in 2020 followed 75 patients with similar testimonials as those in the first study.

After these studies, Johnson & Johnson decided to suspend the sale of baby powder worldwide, justifying the “commercial decision” with “misinformation” that had been published regarding the product’s safety.

In recent years, J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits — more than 38,000 — accusing it of contributing to the development of ovarian cancer in consumers of the product, a circumstance the company denies and which each year leads to millions of dollars spent in court cases.

Now, LTL Management, a subsidiary of J&J, wants the authors of the studies in question to “retract and/or publish a correction” of their investigations, accusing them of omitting information that some – if not all – of the participants in their studies were exposed to asbestos through other, unrelated sources. The manufacturer is also appealing to the New Jersey federal court to compel the researchers to disclose the identity of the participants in the studies in question.

Adam Zimmerman, a University of Southern California law professor, confirmed to Reuters that it’s very rare for companies to file lawsuits against authors of studies they disagree with. The expert admits that it would be very difficult for LTL management to prove in court that the investigators intentionally damaged J&J’s reputation. But she notes that the pharmaceutical company could view these lawsuits as a way to discourage other researchers from conducting similar studies, or even as a way to To reinforce the narrative that their products are safe.