Historic Settlement: Bayer’s $7.25 Billion Roundup Deal Awaits Final Approval

A Missouri state court judge gave initial approval to a $7.25 billion settlement on Wednesday in response to thousands of lawsuits claiming that Bayer's Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. St. Louis Judge Timothy Boyer granted preliminary approval to the agreement made between the German corporation and attorneys representing a nationwide class of people who allege that exposure to Roundup led to their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The settlement aims to resolve most of the roughly 65,000 outstanding claims pending in both federal and state courts. Judge Boyer rejected requests from other lawyers who sought to delay his decision to allow more time for them to review the settlement. While Boyer described the proposed payout as “significant,” he noted that he would listen to objections from those affected at a scheduled hearing in July before deciding on final approval.

Plaintiffs allege that glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup, causes cancer, linking their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other illnesses to the weedkiller's use at home or work. Bayer, which acquired Roundup from Monsanto in 2018 as part of a $63 billion deal, has consistently stated that decades of studies verify the safety of Roundup and glyphosate. The agreement does not oblige Bayer to admit any wrongdoing.