Australian Judge Dismisses Class Action Against Bayer’s Roundup

An Australian judge dismissed a class action lawsuit alleging Bayer’s Roundup weedkiller causes blood cancer. Over 1,000 claimants argued that glyphosate caused their non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but the judge found insufficient evidence. Bayer plans to leverage this ruling in ongoing U.S. litigation, where it faces over 50,000 similar claims.

An Australian judge dismissed a class action lawsuit on Thursday, which claimed Bayer's Roundup weedkiller could cause a type of blood cancer. Bayer aims to leverage this ruling in similar U.S. cases. The lawsuit included more than 1,000 claimants who alleged that glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, caused their non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL).

Justice Michael Lee of Australia's Federal Court reviewed epidemiological, animal, and mechanistic evidence, concluding there was insufficient proof that glyphosate caused NHL in humans. He stated, “It is not proven on a balance of probabilities that exposure to Roundup increased the risk of developing NHL.”

The law firm representing the claimants, Maurice Blackburn, is considering an appeal. The lead claimant, Kelvin McNickle, used Roundup for over two decades and developed NHL at 35. Bayer, contending that Roundup is safe, has been involved in U.S. litigation since acquiring Monsanto in 2018. Despite numerous legal battles, Bayer continues to support the safety of glyphosate-based products.