Johnson & Johnson: UK lawsuit over claimed talc and cancer link

The pharmaceutical and consumer products company has sites in Pinewood Campus, Wokingham, in Berkshire, and 50-100 Holmers Farm Way, High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire. 

Lawyers claim the company 'knew for decades' that there was allegedly asbestos present in its talc products, although Johnson & Johnson (J&J) maintains that its baby powder was safe and stressed that it 'takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously'. 

If the action goes ahead it is understood to be the first of its kind against the pharmaceutical giant in the UK.

Claimants, including cancer patients, survivors, and the families of those who have died from the disease, have expressed anger and called for answers.

A J&J spokesperson claimed that the company has won the 'vast majority' of trials in the US, or won them on appeal.

KP Law is leading the UK case, representing about 2,000 people.

It is also understood to have been contacted by 4,000 potential clients in regards to claims.

Linda Jones, 66, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2023 and said she used J&J talc from when she was a baby until she was in her 20s.

“We all used talc, without exception,” she said. “My mother used it on me when I was a baby in the 50s, and I kept using it for years after.”

The company director from north Devon has been told by medics she may only have months to live.

J&J has faced tens of thousands of lawsuits in the US over the alleged links between its talc and cancer.

It announced in August 2022 that it would stop making talc-based powder globally and would transition to using corn-starch.

The company discontinued sales of talc-based baby powder in the UK in 2023.

Mrs Jones added: “My children will lose their mother, I may never even meet my first grandchild, and my husband and I have been robbed of our retirement together after just six years of marriage.

“But I am also bitter and very angry. If there was any suggestion whatsoever that the talcum powder would cause harm to not only women, but small babies, it should have been taken off the market.”

KP Law has issued a letter before action on behalf of its clients, giving J&J until the end of the year to respond before filing documents with the High Court.

Tom Longstaff, a partner at KP Law, said: “All of the claimants, predominantly women but also some men, who have sustained cancer after using J&J’s talcum powder products have experienced a life-changing illness.

“In some cases, they have died from their cancer, leaving their families devastated. All of these innocent individuals deserve justice.”

Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation at Johnson & Johnson, said the company “takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always has”.

He added: “As our documents show, we have relied upon the most state-of-the-art testing protocols for decades and have been entirely transparent with government institutions and academic researchers regarding our findings.

“Those findings uniformly show the absence of asbestos contamination in Johnson’s Baby Powder and the talc sourced for Johnson’s Baby Powder.

“Independent science makes clear that talc is not associated with the risk of ovarian cancer nor mesothelioma.”

Mr Haas claims that J&J have won – or won on appeal – the “vast majority” of trials in the US.

He also claimed the lawyers of groups of plaintiffs in the US are “actively pushing a false narrative about the history of talc and its alleged contamination to media globally” which “defies logic, rewrites history, and ignores the facts”.

Cassandra Wardle, from Alfreton in Derbyshire, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 at the age of 44.

She said her mum has used talcum powder on her every day from a baby, and she continued the ritual into her 20s.

“It’s just what people did. Johnson and Johnson talcum powder was in every home and was a trusted brand.

“I am grateful to still be here, but I am also incredibly angry.

“I want to know why Johnson & Johnson didn’t change the ingredients of the talcum powder when they knew that it was dangerous.

“Why did they carry on selling it, putting so many thousands of lives at risk? What they have done is nothing short of despicable.”

While she completed treatment two years ago, Mrs Wardle’s immune system has been compromised as a result.

She added: “My diagnosis had a huge impact on every single aspect of my life.”

In 2020, Sharon Doherty, 57, who lives in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on the left side, and fallopian cancer on the right side.

She said: “My mum would use the talcum powder on us all after a bath, and I continued to do so as I got older.”

Despite having surgery and six months of chemotherapy, Ms Doherty was recently told her cancer has returned.

She is awaiting further NHS treatment, which she hopes will start in the coming weeks.

Mr Longstaff added: “There are thousands of women in the UK who will have been diagnosed with cancers which have been identified as being linked to the use of talcum powder and may well have a case against J&J, along with a smaller proportion of men with regard to mesothelioma and peritoneal cancer.

“This once-trusted corporation knew for decades that the asbestos in its talc products was present, that it was dangerous, but did nothing to notify consumers, who have ended up paying the highest price imaginable for the sake of corporate greed.

“We are committed to helping as many people as possible achieve justice in the UK for the actions of profit-hungry executives in US boardrooms.”

Mr Haas said Kenvue, whose brands include the likes of Listerine and Neutrogena among others, is responsible for “any alleged talc liability that arises outside of the US or Canada” following its separation from J&J in 2023.