Asbestos in talcum, testing on prisoners: An account of Johnson & Johnson's dangerous practices

For years, the FDA held informal meetings with talc manufacturers to discuss the industry’s asbestos problem. But as public attention grew, agency officials decided that quiet persuasion wasn’t enough.

In August 1971, the agency invited a range of manufacturers, scientists, and officials from other government agencies to come to Washington for a formal conclave. Among the invitees were representatives from Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, officials from the FDA, the Bureau of Mines, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the US Geological Survey, as well as Langer and some of his colleagues from Mount Sinai.

The meeting’s stated goal was to “discuss in detail analytical methods for the determination of minor amounts of ‘asbestos-like’ material in talc with particular reference to cosmetic grade talcs.” The technology to measure asbestos concentrations was evolving rapidly, and the FDA wanted a consensus on what machines to use and how. Regulators also hoped for a decision on how much asbestos was too much.

No firm decisions were reached on any of the crucial issues, but FDA officials came out of the conference deciding that they needed to understand the true extent of the problem. So, in December 1971, the FDA hired Professor Seymour Z Lewin of New...