Johnson & Johnson faces £1bn High Court claim over cancer linked to talcum powder

Landmark UK legal action alleges asbestos-contaminated talc caused cancer in thousands

A £1 billion group action has been filed at the High Court against Johnson & Johnson, accusing the pharmaceutical giant of selling asbestos-contaminated talcum powder that caused cancer in thousands of people across the UK.

“For decades Johnson & Johnson have orchestrated a campaign of denials and subterfuge,” said Tom Longstaff, partner at KP Law, the firm leading the case.

“The facts are clear: contaminated talc contains carcinogenic material and Johnson & Johnson knew the risk to consumers. The scale of Johnson & Johnson’s corporate wrongdoing is extraordinary, and we will be relentless in holding them to account on behalf of all those who have suffered due to their actions.”

The claim, brought by KP Law on behalf of more than 3,000 individuals and families, covers the period 1965 to 2023 and alleges that Johnson & Johnson knew for over fifty years that its talc products could contain carcinogenic fibres, including asbestos, but continued to sell them for profit. The company finally withdrew its talc-based powders from sale in the UK in 2023, three years after doing so in the United States and Canada.

We’ve teamed up with KP Law to raise awareness of this claim. Have you been affected? Read more about the claim and how we’re working with KP Law or check your eligibility with KP Law now.

Decades of evidence and regulatory inaction

According to the claim, Johnson & Johnson received internal warnings about asbestos contamination as early as the 1960s. A 1969 internal memorandum noted that the safety of talc “for babies could no longer be guaranteed” after tremolite, a recognised form of asbestos, was found in cosmetic-grade talc.

By the 1980s, asbestos was widely recognised as a known carcinogen, yet Johnson & Johnson continued to market its products as “mildness clinically proven”. The company and others in the cosmetics industry reportedly lobbied regulators, delaying oversight by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until decades later.

In 2018, the FDA began testing talc products for asbestos. A year later, Johnson & Johnson withdrew a batch of baby powder after the FDA detected asbestos fibres in a sample.

Diseases linked to talc exposure

The claim details how prolonged use of Johnson & Johnson talc has been linked to several serious and sometimes fatal conditions, including:

• Malignant pleural mesothelioma
• Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma
• Ovarian cancer
• Lung granulomata and/or fibrosis with uterine fibroids

Claimants include those exposed during infancy or childhood, individuals who applied the powder to others, and long-term adult users. Many are represented by family members bringing claims under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 and the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.

“They did nothing to warn consumers”

“This once-trusted corporation knew for decades that asbestos in its talc products was dangerous,” said Longstaff. “They did nothing to notify consumers, who are now paying the highest price imaginable for the sake of corporate greed.”

In the United States, hundreds of lawsuits have already been brought by people diagnosed with cancer allegedly linked to Johnson & Johnson talc. Courts there have awarded billions of dollars in compensation and punitive damages for what judges described as reckless and deceitful conduct.

With nearly 70,000 additional cases in progress, Johnson & Johnson has faced mounting financial pressure and recently attempted a mass bankruptcy scheme to limit its liability.

Despite this, the company continues to deny that its talc products were contaminated.

“Our findings show no asbestos contamination in Johnson’s Baby Powder or in the talc we used,” a company spokesperson said. “We’ve won the majority of US trials either initially or on appeal.”

The firm switched globally to cornstarch-based powders in 2022, discontinuing mineral talc sales in the UK the following year.

Consumers encouraged to check eligibility

KP Law is inviting others who believe they developed cancer after using Johnson & Johnson talc to join the group litigation. People who used talc regularly for five or more years, beginning at least ten years before diagnosis, may be eligible to take part.

Consumer Voice has teamed up with KP Law to raise awareness of this claim and to ensure affected consumers have access to trusted information and legal advice.

If you think you may have been affected, visit the official talc scandal claim website to check your eligibility and find out how to join the action.

Start your claim with KP Law now if you think you could have been affected.