A substantial legal challenge is unfolding in Britain, where thousands of individuals are taking on healthcare titan Johnson & Johnson. They assert that the company’s baby powder is responsible for causing cancer, echoing a protracted legal conflict previously seen in the United States concerning the talc-based product.
This Tuesday, over 3,000 claimants officially joined the landmark lawsuit filed in Britain’s High Court. Legal firm KP Law, representing these individuals, has stated the initial valuation of the claim at a staggering 1 billion pounds (approximately $1.3 billion USD). This marks the very first collective legal action of its kind against Johnson & Johnson in the United Kingdom.
Central to the claimants’ argument is the accusation that between 1965 and 2023, Johnson & Johnson knowingly marketed and sold talc-based products, including baby powder, that contained harmful carcinogenic fibers like asbestos. They contend this was done purely for financial gain. It’s worth noting that the company ceased selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada in 2020, transitioning to a cornstarch-based alternative, which became its global standard by 2023.
These allegations in Britain bear a striking resemblance to a multitude of cases filed in the United States, where Johnson & Johnson has been challenged by tens of thousands of individuals. Just last week, a Los Angeles jury mandated the company to pay a staggering $966 million to the family of a California woman who tragically succumbed to a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Earlier this year, the company’s attempt to use bankruptcy proceedings to settle approximately 70,000 claims for $9 billion was denied.
For many decades, Johnson & Johnson’s iconic baby powder was formulated using the mineral talc. Despite years of the company’s steadfast assurances regarding the product’s safety, internal documents have revealed a long-standing concern within the company that its talc supply might be tainted with asbestos. Asbestos is a notorious carcinogen, frequently found in geological proximity to talc deposits.
In a significant corporate restructuring, Johnson & Johnson divested its consumer product division in 2023, creating a new, independent entity named Kenvue. Kenvue responded to the lawsuit with a statement on Thursday, expressing profound sympathy for individuals battling cancer.
Kenvue staunchly defended the safety of the baby powder, emphasizing that its product’s integrity is “backed by years of rigorous testing” conducted by reputable laboratories, academic institutions, and health authorities globally. The company asserted that the talc employed in their baby powder met all necessary regulatory standards, was entirely free of asbestos, and does not cause cancer.
The British legal action encompasses individuals diagnosed with severe illnesses, including ovarian cancer and mesothelioma—a specific cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure. These claimants maintain that their exposure to the baby powder spanned a minimum of five years, often beginning in infancy or childhood and, in some instances, persisting into their adult lives.
The lawsuit highlights that the baby powder was marketed in Britain with packaging boldly proclaiming its “mildness clinically proven.”
Tom Longstaff, a partner at KP Law, issued a strong statement: “For decades, Johnson & Johnson has engaged in a calculated campaign of denials and deception. We are committed to relentlessly pursuing accountability for all those who have suffered because of their conduct.”