For the first time in the U.K., Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is facing lawsuits over claims that the company’s talc-based products caused cancer after thousands of people sued the U.S. drugmaker this week over the issue.
A lawsuit was filed by KP Law at the High Court in London on Tuesday on behalf of more than 3,000 people who alleged that they or a family member developed ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, or other tumors after using J&J’s (NYSE:JNJ) baby powder between 1965 and 2023.
The claimants seek damages from J&J (NYSE:JNJ) and Kenvue UK Limited, a unit of Kenvue (NYSE:KVUE), the consumer care spinoff of the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based pharma giant.
In the lawsuit, KP Law alleged that JNJ’s talc products were contaminated with carcinogenic fibers, including cancer-causing asbestos, but the company concealed the health risk to the public for decades.
In 2020, J&J (JNJ) discontinued marketing talc-based baby powder in the U.S. after switching to a cornstarch-based product, and it followed the same course globally in 2023.
Asked for comments, the company referred the queries to Kenvue (NYSE:KVUE), which said J&J baby powder “did not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.”
The U.K. lawsuits come as JNJ attempts to resolve tens of thousands of similar cases in the U.S. through bankruptcy, a strategy denied in the federal court system multiple times.