The jury states that the Roundup weed killer has contributed to the cancer of man: NPR

A federal San Francisco jury unanimously agreed on Tuesday that Roundup had caused a man's cancer – a potentially huge blow to the company that produces the glyphosate herbicide currently being targeted. hundreds of similar lawsuits.

After five days of deliberation, the jury concluded that the weed killer was a "substantial factor" in the cause of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Edwin Hardeman, a 70-year-old man from Sonoma County.

The verdict is the second in the United States to find a link between the key ingredient of the herbicide, glyphosate, and the disease. In August, another jury in San Francisco determined that Roundup had caused cancer in a former gardener. It also decided that Monsanto, the company that developed the popular weed suppressor, had deliberately failed to warn consumers or regulators of the risks associated with this product.

In this case, the jurors awarded $ 289 million to the plaintiff, Dewayne Johnson. However, a judge later reduced the amount of the damages to $ 78 million.

German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer bought Monsanto in June.

In one declaration On Tuesday, the company said it was disappointed by the jury's decision "but we continue to firmly believe that science confirms that glyphosate herbicides do not cause cancer."

"We are confident that Phase Two evidence will show that Monsanto's conduct was appropriate and that the company should not be held responsible for Mr. Hardeman's cancer," Bayer added.

The jury in the Hardeman case is now responsible for determining liability and damages.

More than 750 Roundup cases against Bayer have been consolidated in San Francisco federal court.