Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The company has already been ordered to pay billions of dollars in damages in the US.
Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is facing a major legal challenge in the UK, as more than 3,000 claimants accuse the company of selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos, BBC reports.
The claim of the lawsuit, which is led by KP Law, is that J&J has continued to market the baby powder as safe and pure for decades, even though the company allegedly knew about the possible contamination of asbestos-forming minerals as early as the 1960’s.
The claimants argue that J&J should have warned consumers about potential cancer risks associated with long-term use, but that the company allegedly chose to protect its brand reputation instead, while continuing aggressive marketing campaigns targeting families and new mothers.
Johnson & Johnson denies all allegations, stating that its baby powder met regulatory standards and did not contain asbestos. The sale of the baby powder in question was stopped in the UK in 2023.
Concealment and regulatory influence
Documents cited in the UK case reportedly reveal discussions among J&J executives in the 1970s about keeping research, that might expose asbestos contamination, confidential. The company argues that confidentiality was common practice for protecting intellectual property, not evidence of misconduct.
The lawsuit also claims that J&J lobbied US regulators to adopt less sensitive asbestos testing standards, which would reduce the likelihood of detecting small amounts of contamination.
According to the court documents, J&J argued that traces below 1% were negligible, a move critics say allowed the company to continue marketing the product as “pure.” J&J insists this interpretation is misleading, saying the documents refer to hypothetical calculations requested by the US Food and Drug Administration.
J&J is also facing thousands of lawsuits in the US, where courts have already awarded victims billions of dollars in damages. Some of the cases has been succesfully appealed by the company.
Ongoing health concerns
Among the claimants is 63-year-old Siobhan Ryan from Somerset, who was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer after years of using J&J’s baby powder.
Speaking to BBC, she recalls trusting the brand, which had been a staple in her family for generations. Ryan is now undergoing further chemotherapy after her cancer returned earlier this year.
Medical experts say ovarian cancer has multiple causes, including genetic and environmental factors. However, asbestos exposure is a recognised carcinogen, and researchers have warned for years about the potential risks of talc mined near asbestos deposits.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
