Pharmaceutical Watchdog Group Finds Conflicts of Interest in Key Talc Safety Panel Members

Some specialists who gave advice on talc safety had financial relationships to companies that are currently under legal examination

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - A well-known body that keeps an eye on the pharmaceutical industry has published a long study that shows that certain members of a scientific advisory panel that looked at the safety of talcum powder products may have had conflicts of interest. The panel's results had already been utilized to calm anxious regulators and the public by showing that talc in personal care products was not very dangerous to health. The watchdog's study, on the other hand, showed that some panelists had or still have financial ties to corporations that make or defend talc-based products in court. Some of these hidden connections are consulting payments, research funds paid for by the industry, and expert testimony paid for in court cases. The new information has made people question the reliability of past safety assessments, especially those that downplayed the risk of cancer from talcum powder. Critics now say that these possible conflicts may have affected the panel's decisions and made it harder for stronger regulatory action or product labeling, including a clear warning about the cancer risk of talcum powder. Consumer advocates want the panel's recommendations to be looked at again in full and say that safety studies in the future should not include experts who work in the talc or cosmetics businesses.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that federal advisory panels must be open and honest and stay away from financial conflicts that could affect regulatory judgments. In one case, investigators from the watchdog group believe that several panel members did not completely reveal their ties to the sector, even though they were told to fill out conflict-of-interest forms. The GAO hasn't said yet if there will be an official review, but legal experts say that this new study could have an effect on future lawsuits and regulatory actions. In talcum powder cancer litigation, courts have long used the scientific consensus to make conclusions. If it looks like corporate sponsorship affected the decisions of previous safety panels, it might hurt the defense's case. Experts in public health say the most worrying thing is that thousands of women may have kept using talcum powder because they thought it had been extensively and independently tested. After the study came out, some lawmakers are once again calling for tougher control of scientific advisory boards and more transparency about where research funding comes from. The consequences could potentially affect other safety reviews of consumer products where ties to the industry have gone unnoticed in the past. Research from the watchdog group could mark a change in how regulatory science is done and who is considered trustworthy enough to check the safety of products. Independent researchers, public health advocates, and medical societies may also want to have a bigger say in how the rules that protect consumers are developed.

Information provided by TalcumPowderCancerLawsuit.com, a website devoted to providing news about talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits, as well as medical research and findings.