Sanofi healthcare unit bids revised for talc concerns, Bloomberg says

Bidders for Sanofi’s consumer healthcare unit are revising their offers due to concerns around potential liabilities related to its brand that sold talcum powder, Giulia Morpurgo and Eleanor Duncan of Bloomberg report, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The new bids may exclude parts of Sanofi’s Gold Bond business, a brand that historically sold talc-based products, or seek to leave any future legal risks with Sanofi, sources told Bloomberg. A number of consumer health companies that make talc-based powders have faced lawsuits in the past related to the cancer risks from asbestos, Bloomberg points out. A spokesperson for Sanofi said Gold Bond powders were free of asbestos. “Sanofi relies on a history of high-quality sourcing, manufacturing, and scientific testing to support that its Gold Bond powders never contained asbestos,” the spokesperson said by e-mail. “Any such claims, which have been previously disclosed, lack scientific support.”