Thousands in UK open case against Johnson & Johnson over alleged talcum powder cancer link | Johnson & Johnson
Thousands of people are taking legal action against pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, alleging it knowingly sold asbestos-containing talcum powder in the UK.
Up to 3,000 people claim they or a family member suffered forms of ovarian cancer or mesothelioma from the use of Johnson’s Baby Powder and are seeking compensation in the high court in London.
Johnson & Johnson, as well as its current and former subsidiaries Johnson & Johnson Management and Kenvue UK, should also be held accountable, the group’s lawyers said in court documents filed Thursday.
They said J&J had been “hiding” the risk for decades by using cornstarch instead of talc in its baby powder since 2023 in the UK.
A spokeswoman for Kenvue, formerly J&J’s consumer health division and now responsible for talc-related claims outside the U.S. and Canada, said the talc used in the baby powder complies with regulations, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral extracted from the soil.
Michael Rawlinson KC, on behalf of the group making the claim, said in court documents that “there are very few commercially operated, asbestos-free talc deposits in the world and all the mines supplying the defendants contain asbestos”.
He also said his own research, as well as existing scientific literature and reports from such mines, would inform J&J about asbestos contamination.
Despite this, the lawyer added, the company “concealed information that could have shown that the baby powder was contaminated with asbestos.”
He also said J&J “lobbyed regulators” to ensure continued sale of its product and sponsored studies to “downplay the dangers” to human health.
J&J therefore “acted in bad faith to protect the reputation and profit-making potential of their baby powder and the goodwill attached to their name,” Rawlinson said.
J&J denies the allegations, including that it knowingly sold baby powder containing asbestos.
Janet Fuschillo, one of those who brought the case, said that she had been using J&J’s baby powder since the 1960s and that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 7 years ago.
The 75-year-old said: “I have used talc for myself and all four of my children… I have used talc constantly for nearly 50 years, after bathing and when changing nappies.
“My use of talc on my children is a source of great concern and anger.”
Patricia Angell said her husband, Edward, died at age 64 in 2006, just weeks after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
She described him as “a perfectly fit, healthy man” who worked as an electrician and knew about asbestos.
He said: “When he fell ill doctors asked him if he had come into contact with asbestos and he told them he had never.
“He would come home from work, shower every day, and use J&J’s talcum powder… Talc was mentioned in Edward’s autopsy report, along with the types of asbestos found in the contaminated talc.”
She added that her husband, her children and their father had been “robbed” of 19 years of her life.
Mesothelioma, a type of cancer, is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and usually forms in the lungs after people inhale the microscopic fibres, according to the NHS.
The method of applying baby powder (squeezing or shaking the bottle) means “clouds” of the powder remain airborne “for a very long time after use” and are inhaled by the person using it, Rawlinson said.
A Kenvue spokesman said: “We have deep sympathy for people living with cancer. We understand that they and their families want answers – which is why the facts are so important.”
“The safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder is supported by years of testing by independent, leading laboratories, universities and health authorities in the UK and worldwide.
“The high-quality cosmetic grade talc used in Johnson’s Baby Powder complied with all required regulatory standards, did not contain asbestos and did not cause cancer.”
