We are searching data for your request:
Upon completion, a link will appear to access the found materials.
Is glyphosate the Achilles' heel of the drug giant?
The ice on which the Bayer Group is moving is getting thinner. The next verdict in the weed killer glyphosate trial was recently announced. The drug is suspected to be carcinogenic. The U.S. jury saw a link between plaintiff Edwin Hardeman's cancer and controversial weed killer Roundup's contact, and sentenced Bayer to $ 80 million in damages. This case could lead the way to more than 760 other cases.
Bayer is found guilty for the second time. The pharmaceutical giant is accused of obscuring the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate. Already at the end of 2018, Dewayne Johnson, who had lymphoma cancer, claimed compensation from Bayer of over $ 289 million. The court finally awarded the plaintiff a sum of approximately $ 79 million, which he accepted. Bayer was not insightful after the verdict and announced that this contradicted the evidence presented in the trial. The company requested a new trial, which the judge did not accept.
Is glyphosate carcinogenic?
In a recent study published in the English-language journal "Mutation Research / Reviews in Mutation", researchers from the University of Washington found that frequent contact with glyphosate herbicides increased the risk of cancer by 41 percent. Bayer relies on other results. On a specially designed website, the company would like to convince that glyphosate is harmless when used properly.
Bayer resists the accusation
"Glyphosate-based herbicides have been classified as safe by regulators in over 160 countries over the past 40 years," the company wrote in a statement. However, in 2015, the World Health Organization's international cancer research agency classified the weed killer glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic" for humans. Bayer puts this into perspective with the comment: "The IARC also classifies red meat and hot drinks as likely to be carcinogenic".
A giant in a frenzy
"We have deep sympathy for the plaintiff, Mr. Johnson, and his family, but glyphosate-based herbicides are not responsible for his cancer," Bayer writes about the first process. The company seems to remain true to this line even after the second process. According to the public broadcaster ARD and ZDF, Bayer announced that it would appeal the judgment. With regard to the 11,200 plaintiffs for glyphosate, this behavior by Bayer is not surprising. The ongoing legal battle over the weed killer has already had a significant impact on the company's stock, which has been in free fall since the end of 2018. (vb)
Author and source information
