Bayer ordered to pay $2.1bn in US state Roundup verdict
By Josh White
Date: Monday 24 Mar 2025
(Sharecast News) - Bayer has been ordered by a US state jury to pay approximately $2.1bn in damages to a plaintiff who alleged that the company's Roundup weedkiller caused his cancer.
The award, in a Georgia court, included $65m in compensatory damages and $2bn in punitive damages, marking one of the largest verdicts to date involving the glyphosate-based herbicide.
Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup through its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto in 2018, said it strongly disagrees with the ruling and intended to appeal.
The pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals giant argued the verdict contradicted extensive scientific research and the assessments of regulatory bodies worldwide, which it said had generally deemed glyphosate safe when used as directed.
It added that prior damage awards had been significantly reduced on appeal, by around 90% on average.
Bayer has already paid around $10bn to settle similar claims and still faced more than 60,000 pending cases.
It has allocated $5.9 billion in legal provisions to address ongoing litigation.
Despite the size of the Georgia ruling, analysts expected the award to be reduced or overturned on appeal, though the process could take years.
The safety of glyphosate remains a contentious issue, with scientific opinion divided and environmental groups warning of potential ecological harm.
Regulators in both the EU and the UK had still, however, opted to renew the chemical's license for several more years.
Earlier this month, Bayer expressed support for proposed legislation in Georgia aimed at limiting legal exposure for manufacturers of crop protection products.
The company also suggested it could withdraw Roundup from the US market unless more states implemented similar legal safeguards.
At 0949 CET, shares in Bayer were down 7.33% at €22.32.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
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