Johnson & Johnson will stop selling baby talcum powder worldwide in 2023 after thousands of complaints about the safety of the product, already suspended for two years in the United States and Canada.

In a brief statement, the US drugmaker disclosed Thursday that it has made a "business decision" to replace talc with cornstarch in this children's product, after being the target of some 38,000 lawsuits.

The complaints link the long-term use of talcum powder to the development of cancer, although the pharmaceutical company continues to deny that the product is the cause.

In late 2018, information emerged indicating that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) knew for decades that its talcum powder contained asbestos, a mineral with asbestos-like composition and characteristics and harmful health effects.

Since then, J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits accusing the manufacturer of having contributed to the development of ovarian cancer in female consumers of the product, a circumstance the company denies and which each year causes it to spend millions of dollars on legal cases.

"Our position on the safety of our cosmetic powder remains unchanged. We strongly support the decades of scientific analysis by medical experts around the world confirming that Johnson's baby talcum powder is safe, contains no asbestos and does not cause cancer," the US drugmaker noted.

The company faces other legal problems in the US and agreed earlier this year to pay millions of dollars to several states, along with other major drug distributors, taking responsibility for its liability in the opioid crisis.

In the past two decades, the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans have been associated with opioid overdoses, including prescription painkillers and illicit drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl.