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The Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Johnson & Johnson over concerns about possible asbestos contamination of its popular baby powder and other talc-based products, the company said Wednesday. In a securities filing, Johnson & Johnson said it was “cooperating with these government inquiries and will be producing documents in response” to subpoenas it had received. In a separate statement, the company said that “the inquiries are related to news reports” about the welter of lawsuits it faces from consumers who claim its talc products caused cancers. (Hsu, 2/21)

The company said it intends to "cooperate fully with these inquiries and will continue to defend the Company in the talc-related litigation." The disclosure in Johnson & Johnson's annual report on Wednesday is the first time that the company disclosed it had received subpoenas from federal agencies regarding its talc powder products. The Justice Department declined to comment and the SEC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (2/21)

The talc-powder litigation threatens J&J’s carefully cultivated image. At least 13,000 lawsuits against the company claim that use of Johnson’s Baby Powder and other talc products caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, as the lawsuits allege. J&J says decades of testing have shown its baby powder is safe and asbestos-free, and that it doesn’t cause cancer. (Loftus, 2/20)

Late last year, the company launched a national ad campaign defending itself following an investigation from Reuters that said the company knew for decades its talc baby powder contained traces of asbestos. (Weixel, 2/20)