Monsanto Loses Roundup Cancer Trial for $ 80 Million

A federal jury in California awarded $ 80 million to a man who said Roundup herbicide was an "important factor" in the development of his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, CNN reported on Wednesday. This is a blow for the chemical manufacturer and its parent company, the German chemical giant Bayer AG, who face hundreds of lawsuits against the glyphosate herbicide in San Francisco.

During the first phase of the trial, which ended on March 20, the jury concluded that the applicant's cancer, Edwin Hardeman, was probably due to Roundup exposure. In the second phase, which ended this week, the jury concluded that Mr. Hardeman had proven in court that Monsanto had published Roundup with a defective model, and was negligent in its responsibility to provide a adequate warning regarding potential health risks. According to the lawsuit, Hardeman stated that he had used Roundup on his property for more than 20 years before his cancer was diagnosed in 2015. An amount of $ 75 million out of the $ 80 million awarded to the jury is punitive.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (IARC) has estimated that Roundup is a probable carcinogen in 2015, although there is mixed evidence that it represents most of the risk humans. However, it subsequently became apparent that Monsanto had participated in a so-called "independent" journal published in Critical reviews in toxicology challenging the IARC's findings in 2016. (Environmental Protection Agency, states that glyphosate herbicides are safe when used in accordance with the label directions.)

In a statement posted on Bayer's website, the company said that it was "disappointed" by this decision, still convinced that Roundup was not carcinogenic and that the outcome of the event was a great one. The case would have "no impact on future cases and lawsuits, one has its own factual and legal circumstances." He also stated that he would appeal the verdict.

Aimee Wagstaff, one of Hardeman's lawyers, told CNN: "We are delighted that after three long years of litigation, Mr. Hardeman has finally obtained a resolution, and that the jury has held Monsanto to responsible for his misconduct in handling and deception. " His attorneys wrote in an additional statement provided to the information network: "It is clear in Monsanto's actions that he does not care whether Roundup causes cancer, but rather to manipulate the cancer." public opinion and undermine anyone raising legitimate and legitimate concerns about Roundup. "

As the Associated Press noted, the case's judge, Vince Chhabria, oversees hundreds of other Roundup suits and the ruling makes the plaintiffs in a strong position to reach generous settlements. Another lawsuit against Monsanto, which ended in August 2018, resulted in a jury prize of $ 289 million, although it was later reduced to $ 78 million, wrote l & # 39; AP.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Bayer's shares "lost momentum at the beginning of the week after slipping 13% on the day of the first-phase verdict," reflecting investors' growing mistrust that the company will continue to loose. court:

Tom Claps, Legal Analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group, said Wednesday's verdict "does not bode well for the remaining cases," both in federal courts and in court, since Monsanto thought the two-step lawsuit would be more favorable. Investors unfamiliar with the US legal system, he said, need to be aware that the litigation could take years and cost what he estimates costs between $ 2.5 and $ 4.5 billion. .

Other investors and analysts have announced that they would wait at least two or three other verdicts before estimating how much it could cost Bayer.

According to the Journal, another case involving a 70-year-old married couple who also developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is expected to be tried Thursday. Roundup trials could take years to make their way into the court system, although CNN reported that Kara Cook-Schultz, founder of the Public Interest Fund, said that it would have a more immediate impact in the form "even more aware that Roundup is not as safe as the one advertised".

[CNN]