Johnson & Johnson faces first UK talc lawsuits amid US litigation surge

Johnson & Johnson is confronting its first legal challenges in the UK over allegations that its talc-based products cause cancer, as the company continues to grapple with tens of thousands of similar claims in the United States.

The English High Court accepted a lawsuit filed against J&J and Kenvue UK Limited, a subsidiary of Kenvue, the former consumer health unit spun off from J&J in 2023, as per Reuters. The firm KP Law, representing more than 3,000 claimants, alleges that use of J&J’s baby powder between 1965 and 2023 contributed to ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and other diseases. The plaintiffs contend that the talc products contained carcinogenic fibers, including asbestos, a known cause of mesothelioma.

J&J has consistently maintained that its talc products are safe and asbestos-free. The company directed questions about the UK case to Kenvue, noting that the spin-off “retained the responsibility and any purported liability for talc-related litigation outside of the United States and Canada.” Kenvue issued a statement asserting that J&J baby powder “did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” the report stated.

The UK case follows a wave of litigation in the United States, where thousands of claimants have alleged that J&J’s talc products led to cancer. J&J ceased sales of talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based product, and halted sales in the UK last year.

In the US, J&J has attempted to resolve the talc litigation through bankruptcy proceedings, a strategy federal courts have rejected three times. Last week, the company was ordered to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, one of the largest awards against J&J, though it could be reduced on appeal. Most of the US award — $950 million — was for punitive damages, which are generally not available in English courts, Reuters added.

In England, courts typically award compensation for proven losses, though so-called exemplary damages can be granted in cases of willful wrongdoing. According to the Reuters report, estimates put the value of the new UK lawsuit at roughly $1.34 billion. Unlike US cases, these claims will be decided by a judge rather than a jury.