Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Report On Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Under Consideration: Indian Regulator

India's federal drug regulator said on Tuesday (18) a Reuters report that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos lurked in its baby powder was "under consideration".

A spokeswoman for the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) told Reuters it was too early to say if a formal investigation would be launched into the baby powder that is ubiquitous in many Indian homes, a potential market of 1.3 billion people.


K Bangarurajan, a senior official at the CDSCO, told Reuters powder samples were tested earlier but nothing wrong was found in them.

"We tested samples in 2016, but no such thing was found in them," Bangarurajan said by phone. "The samples were found to be complying with Indian standards."

A J&J spokesperson in India said it had not been contacted by the government since the Reuters story.

J&J said in a statement that the Reuters article, which was published last week, "is one-sided, false and inflammatory."

"Johnson & Johnson's baby powder is safe and asbestos free," it added. "Studies of more than 100,000 men and women show that talc does not cause cancer or asbestos-related disease. Thousands of independent tests by regulators and the world’s leading labs prove our baby powder has never contained asbestos," the company said.

A Reuters examination of many company memos, internal reports and other confidential documents, as well as deposition and trial testimony, showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company’s raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos, and that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors, and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public.

The documents also depicted successful efforts to influence US regulators’ plans to limit asbestos in cosmetic talc products and scientific research on the health effects of talc.

Before the Reuters report, a small portion of the documents had been produced at trial and cited in media reports. Many were shielded from public view by court orders that allowed J&J to turn over thousands of documents it designated as confidential. Much of their contents was reported by Reuters for the first time.

J&J said on Monday (17) it planned to buy back up to $5 billion of its stock, after the Reuters report wiped about $40 billion from its market value.

Reuters

More For You

Tata-Steel

he Port Talbot EAF will produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel per year using UK-sourced scrap.

getty images

Tata Group begins construction of new Electric Arc Furnace in Port Talbot

TATA STEEL UK has started construction of a new Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Port Talbot site in South Wales. Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran marked the groundbreaking ceremony on July 14, joined by Tata Steel CEO and managing director TV Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair.

The EAF project is part of Tata Steel UK’s £1.25 billion plan to transition to low-carbon steelmaking, backed by £500 million from the UK government. The furnace is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2027 and aims to reduce carbon emissions at Port Talbot by about 90 per cent, or 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. The project is expected to support 5,000 jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Labour’s non-dom tax changes may cost £4bn, experts warn

Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)

Labour’s non-dom tax changes may cost £4bn, experts warn

PLANS by Labour to overhaul the tax rules for non-domiciled residents in the UK could cost the public purse up to £4 billion and result in the loss of thousands of private sector jobs, according to a new analysis.

A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), shared with The Times, suggested that scrapping the current non-dom regime could lead to a sharp drop in tax revenues if even a fraction of those affected decide to leave the country.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesla set to open first showroom in India

Elon Musk and Narendra Modi (right)

Tesla set to open first showroom in India

US CARMAKER Tesla is finally making its official debut in India with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai.

The firm, led by Elon Musk, will unveil the new “Tesla Experience Centre” on Tuesday (15) at Maker Maxity Mall in the Bandra Kurla Complex, one of the city's top commercial hubs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian firm acquires Kings Court Hotel for £2.75m

UK-based Nanak Hotels acquired the 60-room Kings Court Hotel in Warwickshire for £2.75 million. (Photo: Colliers International UK)

Asian firm acquires Kings Court Hotel for £2.75m

UK-BASED Nanak Hotels recently acquired the 60-room Kings Court Hotel, a 17th-century property in Warwickshire, England, for £2.75 million. This is the first regional acquisition by the privately held firm led by British Indians Harpreet Singh Saluja and Karamvir Singh.

Nanak Hotels, which operates a UK property portfolio, plans to invest in the property's refurbishment and repositioning, according to a statement from Colliers International UK, which brokered the transaction.

Keep ReadingShow less
Priya Nair becomes first woman CEO in Hindustan Unilever's history

Priya Nair (Photo: Unilever)

Priya Nair becomes first woman CEO in Hindustan Unilever's history

PRIYA NAIR has been appointed as the CEO and managing director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), effective from August 1. She will be the first woman to lead the company in its history.

The announcement was made by HUL on Thursday (10). Nair, who currently serves as president, Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever, will take over the role from Rohit Jawa, who will step down on July 31 to pursue other interests.

Keep ReadingShow less