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What Ever Happened to Johnson & Johnson?

J&J used to be viewed as a model of corporate ethical behavior... The reason was how it handled the news of poisoning of Tylenol capsules, a J&J product, back in 1982... J&J seems to have lost its moral way and now seems willing to overlook bad reports about products to be more competitive, gain profits and market share. I believe the underlying cause of the problem is a culture that has morphed from honesty to dishonesty accompanied the failure of ethical leadership.

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 The dark side of Johnson & Johnson

For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson has billed itself as one of the most trusted companies in American history. But, in a stunning investigation, journalist Gardiner Harris documents decades of misconduct and malfeasance by the health-care conglomerate. Harris’s book, out April 8, is called No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson. He spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about why he says the company has “knowingly contributed to the deaths and grievous injuries of millions” through products including baby powder, a fentanyl patch, and a cancer drug. Johnson & Johnson has denied many of these allegations.

Articles of Interest

J&J Talcum Powder Lawsuit: History & 2025 Updates

The ongoing multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over its talcum-based products is among the most well-known and closely followed medical mass torts. The MDL centers on two pivotal products: Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower. Plaintiffs allege that the talc in both products was contaminated with asbestos, leading to various cancers. While ovarian cancer accounts for the majority of cases, claims also include mesothelioma, endometrial cancer, and other gynecological cancers.

Judge Rejects J&J’s Third Bankruptcy Filing, Killing $9B Talcum Powder Settlement

Federal bankruptcy court will not allow Johnson & Johnson to force the settlement of talcum powder lawsuits through a bankruptcy filing, sending lawsuits back to the U.S. civil court system.

J&J says it regrets injecting prisoners with asbestos, but such experiments were 'widely accepted' at the time

As Johnson & Johnson continues to defend its case in lawsuits over talc’s potential to cause cancer, startling research from the product's past has come to light. Back in 1971, Johnson & Johnson funded a study that injected 10 Pennsylvania prisoners with asbestos, newly unsealed court documents show, as first reported by Bloomberg. J&J wanted to compare the minerals’ effect on the inmates’ skin versus talc, which is a key ingredient in the company’s popular baby powder. When asked for comment on the latest reporting, J&J stressed its focus on bioethics but also defended its testing as acceptable at that time.

Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Controversy

Johnson & Johnson is a multinational company manufacturing numerous well-known personal care brands, medical devices, and medications. In 2020, the company pulled its talcum-based baby powder off shelves after facing a flood of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder causes cancer. Recent research has linked the use of talcum powder to various cancers, including ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and others.

Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder

Facing thousands of lawsuits alleging that its talc caused cancer, J&J insists on the safety and purity of its iconic product. But internal documents examined by Reuters show that the company's powder was sometimes tainted with carcinogenic asbestos and that J&J kept that information from regulators and the public.

Johnson & Johnson proposes $6.5bn settlement of talc cancer lawsuits

Deal would resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging company’s baby powder causes ovarian cancer

Johnson & Johnson talc baby powder asbestos trials: key facts

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is facing more than 90,000 lawsuits in the United States brought by people who claim exposure to asbestos in talcum-based Johnson’s Baby Powder products caused them to develop ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, two types of cancer linked to talc exposure.

Johnson & Johnson, Under Fire, Has Track Record Of Weathering Trouble

In the health care industry, there are few brands more well known than Johnson & Johnson. The maker of consumer staples ranging from Band-Aids to baby shampoo has faced a number of controversies in its 133-year history. Now it is contesting charges that it contributed to the nation's opioid epidemic.

Johnson & Johnson’s Brand Falters Over Its Role in the Opioid Crisis

An Oklahoma court case highlights the health care giant’s role in the epidemic as a leading supplier of opioid ingredients.

Johnson and Johnson Talcum-Settlement Consent Judgments Filed

The proposed settlement doesn’t resolve personal-injury lawsuits.

Johnson and Johnson’s Toxic Talc: A Timeline Toward Victory

On August 11, 2022, Johnson & Johnson announced they will stop the global sale of talc-based baby powder and finally transition to a safer corn-starch based formula for all its customers by 2023. This victory is a long time coming and is the result of a global-wide movement of health and justice organizations, government agencies, investigative journalists and concerned people who took action to hold Johnson & Johnson (J&J) accountable for the sale of asbestos-contaminated talcum powder and its links to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

The Business of Pain: Johnson & Johnson and the Promise of Opioids

This case is designed to provide an engrossing overview of stakeholder capitalism through a vigorous discussion of the conflicts that can arise when trying to serve multiple stakeholders. In 2007, Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) subsidiary Janssen has to decide whether or not to launch a new opioid painkiller—the first such launch in 25 years—amidst growing concerns about opioid abuse in the U.S.

The Johnson & Johnson cancer drug scandal that encapsulates corruption in health care

The EPO disaster in many ways exceeds that of prescription opioids. Erythropoietin — also known as EPO — is mostly remembered as the drug that cyclist Lance Armstrong dishonestly used to win seven Tours de France. The blood thickener’s role in a cancer drug disaster that, by one estimate, cost nearly 500,000 Americans their lives has been forgotten. That darker tale is one of the defining narratives of American health care. At its center is Johnson & Johnson, the largest health care products conglomerate in the world.