Monsanto has suffered the latest in a series of court defeats for its glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup, which the company insists is not linked to cancer (AFP Photo/ JOSH EDELSON) |
San Francisco (AFP) - In a third major legal blow to Bayer-owned Monsanto and its weedkiller Roundup, a jury in California has ordered the chemicals giant to pay more than $2 billion in damages to a couple that sued on grounds the product caused their cancer, lawyers said.
The ruling
on Monday was the latest in a series of court defeats for Monsanto over the
glyphosate-based product, but the company insists the weedkiller is not linked
to cancer.
The
couple's legal team described the damages award as "historic," saying
it totalled $2.055 billion (1.8 billion euros) after adding in slightly more
than $55 million in compensatory damages.
"The
jury saw for themselves internal company documents demonstrating that, from day
one, Monsanto has never had any interest in finding out whether Roundup is
safe," said plaintiff's counsel Brent Wisner.
"Instead
of investing in sound science, they invested millions in attacking science that
threatened their business agenda."
The setback
sent Bayer's shares tumbling 2.55 percent to 55 euros in Frankfurt in
mid-morning trading on Tuesday.
The German
chemicals giant has seen close to 45 percent of its market capitalisation
evaporate since it bought Monsanto in June 2018 for $63 billion.
In a statement, Bayer said it was disappointed with the jury's decision and would appeal the verdict, which it argues was at odds with a recent US Environmental Protection Agency review of glyphosate-based weedkillers.
Bayer finalised its massive acquisition of Monsanto last year, but the blockbuster purchase has turned out to be plagued with other massive costs (AFP Photo/ Odd ANDERSEN) |
In a statement, Bayer said it was disappointed with the jury's decision and would appeal the verdict, which it argues was at odds with a recent US Environmental Protection Agency review of glyphosate-based weedkillers.
"The
consensus among leading health regulators worldwide is that glyphosate-based
products can be used safely and that glyphosate is not carcinogenic,"
Bayer said.
Bayer
apologises
Glyphosate
developer Monsanto was convicted in the United States in 2018 and 2019 of not
taking necessary steps to warn of the potential risks of Roundup -- their
weedkiller containing the chemical, which two California juries found caused
cancer in two users.
Bayer
announced last month that more than 13,000 lawsuits related to the weedkiller
had been launched in the US.
Monday's
stunning verdict came as Bayer admitted that its subsidiary Monsanto kept lists
of high-profile people -- for or against pesticides -- in France and likely
other European countries.
Bayer
apologised on Sunday after it emerged that Monsanto had a PR agency collate
lists of French politicians, scientists and journalists, with their views on
pesticides and GM crops.
French
authorities have opened a preliminary inquiry into the claims.
"It is
clear that we apologise for what has come to light in France," Matthias
Berninger, Bayer's head of public affairs, told journalists in a conference
call.
But he admitted that "it's very likely that such lists also exist in other European countries."
Bayer has
said that more than 13,000 lawsuits related to its
glyphosate-based weedkiller
Roundup have been launched in the
US (AFP Photo/Alain BOMMENEL, Laurence
SAUBADU, Kun TIAN)
|
But he admitted that "it's very likely that such lists also exist in other European countries."
"We
consider what we have seen so far to be completely inappropriate," he
said.
"We
were of the opinion that the reports of these dealings with journalists,
politicians and activists are not in order and not in agreement with what Bayer
stands for."
Hidden
costs
The German
agro-chemicals and drugs giant finalised its massive acquisition of Monsanto
last year, but the blockbuster purchase has turned out to be plagued with other
massive costs.
Just two
months after the acquisition was completed, Monsanto lost a case to a school
groundskeeper suffering from terminal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had sued the
company over the glyphosate weedkillers Roundup and Ranger Pro.
Monsanto
was initially ordered to pay $289 million to the groundskeeper, before the
damages were reduced to $78.5 million.
In March,
the company lost another case to an American retiree who blames his cancer on
the weedkiller, and was ordered by a court to pay $80 million to the plaintiff.
Bayer is
appealing both cases.
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