SAN FRANCISCO – Following another postponed trial, several media reports have suggested a potential global settlement in the thousands of Monsanto Roundup cancer lawsuits pending throughout the country. However, Bayer, which purchased Monsanto last year, remains firm in its stance that the weed killer is safe and believes that it will prevail not only in future cases but also overturn several verdicts through the appeal process.
“We are constructively engaging in mediation, but this process is confidential and we cannot speculate either about its timing or outcome,” said Bayer in a statement. “Meanwhile, we are pursuing appeals and will defend the company and the safe use of Roundup in any upcoming trials.”
Speculation of a global settlement comes in wake of a postponed trial that has now pushed the next scheduled cases into the new year, leaving some suspecting that the two sides may be buying time to agree to terms on a deal.
Regarding the number of postponements, particularly in Northern California and St. Louis, Bayer stated, “There were a number of reasons for the postponements, including to provide time to constructively engage in mediation.”
Bayer/Monsanto has lost all three cases in which plaintiffs have alleged that glyphosate, the active chemical in Roundup weed killer, has caused their cancer – specifically non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In each case, the initial damages, which exceeded a total of $2 billion, were slashed but Bayer intends on pushing to further reduce those awards or reverse the verdicts entirely.
There are new reports that have stated that the number of similar lawsuits filed has doubled over the past three months, reaching over 42,700 nationwide. A slew of them are expected to get under way in early 2020 in the Bay Area and in Monsanto’s longtime hometown of St. Louis.