Court Supports Monsanto in Cancer Case

A U.S. appeals court has ruled in favor of Bayer, the owner of Monsanto, allowing the company to avoid a lawsuit from a Pennsylvania man who claims that its Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. Chief Judge Michael A. Chagares stated that the state-law requirement for a cancer warning on Roundup's label conflicts with federal regulations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The court emphasized that FIFRA mandates uniformity in pesticide labeling, which prevents states from imposing additional warnings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained that there is no evidence linking glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, to cancer in humans. This ruling diverges from decisions made by federal appeals courts in San Francisco and Atlanta, which have previously sided against Bayer in similar cases. The Supreme Court has opted not to review Bayer's appeal from the San Francisco ruling, leading to a split among federal appellate courts on this issue. Following the court's decision, Bayer's shares rose approximately 13%, reflecting investor optimism regarding the company's legal standing. The ruling comes amidst ongoing litigation related to Roundup, including a recent case in which a Pennsylvania man was awarded over $2 billion after claiming that the herbicide caused his cancer. The Schaffners, who filed their lawsuit in 2019 after a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, expressed disappointment with the ruling and are considering their legal options.