Overview

• KP Law filed the consolidated claim at the High Court on behalf of more than 3,000 people alleging ovarian cancer, mesothelioma and other diseases linked to Johnson's Baby Powder used between 1965 and 2023.
• Court filings allege the talc contained carcinogenic fibres, including asbestos, and accuse Johnson & Johnson of suppressing evidence, lobbying regulators and sponsoring studies to downplay risks.
• Kenvue, which J&J says retained responsibility for talc litigation outside the U.S. and Canada, stated the baby powder did not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.
• The UK lawsuits will be decided by a judge rather than a jury, with generally compensatory damages, and KP Law estimates the claims could total around £1 billion.
• J&J ended talc-based baby powder sales in the U.S. in 2020 and in the UK in 2023, as U.S. courts continue to hear tens of thousands of talc cases including a recent $966 million order in a mesothelioma case.