Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will stop making and selling its talc-based baby powder around the world from next year, according to BBC News.

The company has made the announcement two years after it stopped selling its talcum powder in the USA amid mounting lawsuits. 

J&J faces thousands of court cases from women who allege its talcum powder contained asbestos and caused them to develop ovarian cancer.

"As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio," it said in a statement.

However, at the same time J&J continued to claim that decades of independent research shows the product is safe to use.