A landmark legal action has been launched in the United Kingdom against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), accusing the pharmaceutical company of knowingly selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos. The case, brought by KP Law on behalf of 3,000 claimants, alleges that J&J concealed internal evidence for decades that linked its talc-based products to deadly cancers, including ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
According to documents seen by the BBC, internal company memos and scientific reports from as early as the 1960s suggest J&J was aware its talc contained fibrous forms of tremolite and actinolite—both asbestos-related minerals. Despite this knowledge, the lawsuit claims, the company continued marketing its baby powder as safe and pure, never warning consumers of potential risks.
J&J has denied all allegations, maintaining that its products complied with regulatory standards and did not contain asbestos. The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the UK in 2023, three years after discontinuing it in the United States.
The UK case mirrors extensive litigation in the US, where J&J has faced thousands of lawsuits and paid billions of dollars in damages, though it continues to appeal many of those decisions. Lawyers estimate that damages in the UK could reach hundreds of millions of pounds, making it one of the largest product liability cases in British history.
At the heart of the claim are internal communications suggesting J&J recognized asbestos contamination risks more than half a century ago. A 1973 internal memo allegedly admitted that “our baby powder contains talc fragments classifiable as fiber,” with traces of tremolite and actinolite. Another letter reportedly advised keeping such findings confidential to avoid public scrutiny. The company, however, maintains that these discussions were taken out of context and that the testing methods at the time were adequate.
For claimants like Siobhan Ryan, the issue is deeply personal. Now 63, Siobhan used J&J baby powder on herself and her children for years. Diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, she believes her illness was caused by long-term exposure to the product. “They knew it was contaminated and still sold it to new mums and their babies,” she said.
Experts stress that while ovarian cancer can arise from multiple causes, long-term exposure to asbestos fibers is a known risk factor. As Professor Christina Fotopoulou of Imperial College London explains, external agents that disrupt normal cell function can trigger mutations leading to cancer.
Earlier this month, a US court in Connecticut ordered J&J to pay $25 million in damages to a man who developed terminal mesothelioma after lifelong use of the company’s baby powder. Testimony from a former J&J toxicologist revealed that he had received asbestos-positive test results but failed to alert regulators or senior management. The court noted that safer alternatives, such as cornstarch-based powder, were available but not adopted by the company.
J&J’s consumer health arm has since been restructured under a new entity, Kenvue, which continues to deny that the baby powder was unsafe. In a statement, the company said it sympathizes with those affected by cancer but maintains that independent testing supports the safety of its product.
For health advocates, however, this case raises larger questions about corporate accountability, transparency, and consumer protection. If the allegations prove true, it reflects a decades-long failure to prioritize public health over profit—a pattern that has had fatal consequences for many families.
Consumers have a right to trust that products sold for infants and families are free from harm. When that trust is broken, the consequences are not just legal—they are human. The pursuit of justice in this case is not only about compensation but also about restoring accountability in an industry that should protect, not endanger, the people it serves.
Source: BBC News