Bayer's Legal Battle Over Roundup: Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Billions in Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Bayer's appeal aimed at limiting lawsuits claiming Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. Bayer challenges state law claims, arguing federal law, backed by the EPA, preempts these lawsuits. The company faces similar claims from 65,000 plaintiffs, risking billions in damages.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Bayer's appeal regarding lawsuits alleging that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, a decision that could potentially limit billions of dollars in damages. The case arises from Bayer's challenge to a Missouri Court of Appeals ruling in favor of a plaintiff claiming non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after using Roundup.

Approximately 65,000 similar lawsuits have been filed against Bayer in state and federal courts across the U.S. The company argues federal law, as enforced by the EPA, supersedes state laws, negating the need for cancer warnings on Roundup labels. However, past jury decisions have awarded hefty sums to plaintiffs, intensifying the controversy.

Bayer, which acquired Roundup with its purchase of Monsanto in 2018, asserts extensive research supports the herbicide's safety. As the legal battle unfolds, Bayer considers withdrawing Roundup from the U.S. market, having already replaced glyphosate in consumer products with different substances in response to ongoing litigation pressures.

(With inputs from agencies.)