LONDON: UK plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the multinational pharmaceutical and cosmetics corporation Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday, claiming that asbestos exposure in the company’s talcum powder caused cancer diagnoses in women.
After a string of similar lawsuits in North America, J&J is now facing the possibility of legal action in the UK.
“Women who have been diagnosed with life-changing and life-limiting cancers were exposed to asbestos contained within the company’s talcum powder,” according to KP Law, the firm that represents over 2,000 claims.
J&J’s global vice president of litigation, Erik Haas, responded by saying, “Johnson & Johnson takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always has.” Haas further stated that “independent science makes clear that talc is not associated with the risk of ovarian cancer nor mesothelioma,” adding that J&J’s own analysis revealed no asbestos contamination in its products.
