Thousands of people in the UK are taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, claiming the company knowingly sold baby powder containing asbestos-contaminated talc. Around 3,000 individuals allege they or a family member developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma from using Johnson's Baby Powder, and are seeking damages at the High Court in London.
Lawyers for the group, filed by KP Law on Thursday, estimate the claims exceed £1 billion. They argue that Johnson & Johnson, along with its subsidiaries Johnson & Johnson Management and Kenvue UK, should be held liable for concealing the risks for decades. The company replaced talc with corn starch but only stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the UK and globally in 2023, three years after ending sales in the US and Canada.
Michael Rawlinson KC, representing the claimants, stated in court documents that few talc deposits worldwide are free of asbestos and that mines supplying the defendants contained asbestos. He alleged Johnson & Johnson suppressed information about contamination, lobbied regulators, and sponsored studies to downplay dangers, acting in bad faith to protect profits.
Janet Fuschillo, 75, who used the powder since the 1960s and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer seven years ago, said: 'It's a source of great concern and anger that I used talc on my children.' Patricia Angell said her husband Edward died of mesothelioma in 2006, aged 64, after using J&J talc daily. She noted asbestos strains were found in contaminated talc on his autopsy report.
Johnson & Johnson denies the allegations. A Kenvue spokesperson said the talc used complied with regulations, did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer, citing years of testing by independent laboratories and health authorities.
