Documents that had previously been sealed have uncovered that at one point, cosmetic giant Johnson & Johnson funded a study whereby prisoners in the United States were injected with asbestos.
The aim of the study was to compare the effects on the skin of the subjects when they were injected with asbestos, versus the application of Johnson & Johnson talc, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
The controversial study was only connected to Johnson & Johnson after the report was uncovered during the recent talc litigation activity that the company has been involved with.
The company has not denied its involvement in the trials, but via a spokesperson, said that “this type of testing was discontinued more than 40 years ago.”
They also explained that “at the time of these studies, nearly 50 years ago, testing of this nature among this cohort set was widely accepted, including by prominent researchers, leading public companies, and the U.S. government itself.”
“We deeply regret the conditions under which these studies were conducted, and in no way do they reflect the values or practices we employ today.”
“As the world’s largest healthcare company, our transparent, diligent approach to bioethics is at the heart of all we promise our customers and society.”