Agencies London

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is facing its first lawsuits in the United Kingdom over claims that its talc-based products cause cancer, as it continues to battle tens of thousands of similar cases in US. The case was filed at the English High Court on Tuesday against J&J and Kenvue UK Limited, a subsidiary of Kenvue, J&J’s former consumer health division, which was spun off in 2023.

Law firm KP Law said it had brought the claim on behalf of more than 3,000 people who allege they developed ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, or other illnesses after using J&J’s baby powder between 1965 and 2023.

The firm argues that J&J’s talc products contained carcinogenic fibres, including asbestos, which has been linked to mesothelioma. J&J has consistently denied these allegations, insisting its talc products are safe and asbestos-free. J&J referred all queries to Kenvue, stating that the latter “retained responsibility and any potential liability for talc-related litigation outside US and Canada.” Kenvue, for its part, maintained that J&J’s baby powder “did not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.”

The company is already facing tens of thousands of lawsuits in U.S., where claimants say they got cancer after using J&J’s talc-based products. J&J halted sales of its talc baby powder in US in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch-based alternative, and did the same in UK in 2023.