New Brunswick: Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will stop making and selling its talc-based baby powder around the world from next year.
The announcement comes more than two years after the healthcare giant ended sales of the product in the US.
J&J faces tens of thousands of lawsuits from women who allege its talcum powder contained asbestos and caused them to develop ovarian cancer, the BBC reported.
But the company reiterated its view that decades of independent research shows the product is safe to use.
"As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio," it said in a statement.
The firm added that cornstarch-based baby powder is already sold in countries around the world.
The company faces lawsuits from consumers and their survivors who claim J&J's talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos, the report added.
Talc is mined from the earth and is found in seams close to that of asbestos, which is a material known to cause cancer. (UNI)
