Bayer has reached a class-action settlement in the US worth up to 7.25 billion USD to resolve current and future lawsuits over the herbicide Roundup. It requires approval from the court in St. Louis. The cases stem from the 2018 acquisition of Monsanto.
The pharmaceutical and agribusiness company Bayer announced that the settlement involves payments over up to 21 years. It addresses lawsuits where plaintiffs link cancer illnesses to the active ingredient glyphosate in Roundup. A World Health Organization panel classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans," while Bayer and several European agencies dispute this.
The legal disputes have burdened Bayer's balance sheet since the 2018 acquisition of US rival Monsanto. The settlement will increase provisions and liabilities for all legal cases from 7.8 to 11.8 billion euros. Monsanto has also agreed to confidential settlements for additional glyphosate cases. Earlier this year, Monsanto settled eight judgments related to PCB contamination at the Sky Valley Education Center in Washington, with terms remaining confidential.
The agreement followed the US Supreme Court's decision to review the case of plaintiff John Durnell. Bayer hopes this review will address the precedence of federal law in claims over missing warnings, potentially overturning significant damage awards. The Supreme Court case remains unaffected by the settlement and pertains to pending appeals not covered by it.
The Leverkusen-based company views the deal as a potential breakthrough from long-standing risks.
