Bayer Ag secured a legal victory in Philadelphia on Tuesday regarding its Roundup weedkiller, while plaintiffs in California withdrew another case.
Facing numerous lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer, Bayer maintains the product’s safety despite these claims. Recent legal wins in Arkansas and Delaware add to the company’s success in trials, with Bayer prevailing in three consecutive cases and 13 out of the last 19 trials.
The win in Philadelphia marks a significant milestone for Bayer, particularly following recent rulings on admissible evidence in Roundup litigation. The company also announced a successful trial outcome in Pennsylvania, where a retired postal service worker claimed Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, a California farmer and his wife voluntarily dropped their lawsuit alleging Roundup caused cancer, further bolstering Bayer’s position. Despite ongoing litigation, Bayer remains steadfast in defending the safety of Roundup and its products.
“We continue to stand behind the safety of Roundup and will confidently defend the safety of our products and our good faith actions in any future litigation,” Bayer said in a statement.
Legal representatives for the plaintiffs in both cases expressed differing viewpoints. While the Pennsylvania plaintiff’s lawyer cited excluded evidence, including a World Health Organization finding on glyphosate, the California plaintiffs’ lawyer did not immediately comment on their decision to withdraw the case.
Glyphosate, which has been around since the 1970s, is the active ingredient in Roundup and other products, such as Ranger Pro, and it is often targeted by activists speaking out against modern agricultural practices. Bayer’s lawyers have long argued that numerous studies have shown Roundup is safe, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that glyphosate is not a carcinogen.
Independently, nearly all scientific bodies and associated research have affirmed the safety of glyphosate.
Bayer’s recent legal successes follow previous trial victories, although the company faces appeals and potential reductions in punitive damages. Over 165,000 claims regarding Roundup have been filed against Bayer in the U.S., with approximately 54,000 still pending.
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson emphasized efforts to resolve litigation, exploring options beyond the courtroom. The company ceased selling home-use glyphosate products last year but continues to offer other Roundup formulations.
Shares of Bayer saw a slight increase following the news. However, the company’s stock has experienced a significant decline over the past year, largely attributed to legal issues stemming from its acquisition of Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018.
Despite the legal victories, Bayer is reportedly grappling with grappling with declining profits and legal uncertainties, prompting the company to reaffirm its current corporate structure while addressing legal challenges.
Lawsuits over glyphosate and human health are usually rooted in the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s 2015 classification of glyphosate as a “probable” carcinogen. When IARC first made the decision, it was immediately controversial, and that controversy has been growing in the years since, not the least of which related to questionable editing of draft versions of the original report before they were made public.
»Related: $332 million verdict levied against Monsanto in Roundup case
