|
 The lawsuit marks the first multi-plaintiff trial in the litigation
over whether glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, is
carcinogenic, and is the trial outside of California. It is being
held in St. Louis, where the Monsanto unit was headquartered before
Bayer bought the company in a $63 billion deal in 2018.
Roundup cancer lawsuits against Bayer in the United States have
ballooned to more than 75,000 since the company was hit with
multibillion-dollar verdicts, as three consecutive juries found the
company liable for causing cancer. Bayer is appealing those
verdicts.
Bayer's share price has tumbled since the first verdict in August
2018, and the company is currently negotiating with lawyers to
settle the entire litigation.
While most plaintiffs' lawyers have agreed to postpone trials
pending negotiations, some have decided to pursue their clients' day
in court.
The case in Missouri's Circuit Court for the 22nd Judicial Circuit
of the City of St. Louis is scheduled to last several weeks, with
both sides presenting extensive scientific evidence through expert
witnesses.
Bayer denies all allegations that Roundup or glyphosate causes
cancer, saying decades of independent studies have shown the world's
most widely used weed killer to be safe for human use and noting
that regulators around the world have approved the product.
[to top of second column] |
"At the end of the day, this trial should come down to the weight of
the science, and we remain confident in the extensive scientific
record and regulatory assessments that support the safety of our
glyphosate-based herbicides and that they do not cause cancer," the
company said in a statement.
The case involves the claims of Bryce Batiste from Louisiana, Ann
Meeks from Florida, Glen Ashelman from Pennsylvania and Christopher
Wade, a St. Louis resident. All four have been diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cell cancer that plaintiffs in the
litigation allege is caused by Roundup.
Some legal experts said Bayer could benefit from a home advantage in
the St. Louis trial, where Monsanto has century-old roots. But
juries in the city are also known to dole out massive damages awards
against large corporations.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon; Editing by Leslie Adler)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
