J&J has been the subject of over 26,000 lawsuits claiming that its
baby powder causes
ovarian cancer. The lawsuits focus on
claims that the
talc-based powder is contaminated with
asbestos, a known
carcinogen commonly found in places where talc is mined.
[184
By 2018, the company had become embroiled in the
opioid epidemic in the United States and had become a target of
lawsuits.
[206][207] Over 500 opioid-related cases have been filed as of May 2018 against J&J and its competitors.