Just Like Pharma? Bayer Lobbies for Liability Shield After Juries Side With People Harmed by Pesticides

After a series of lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer led to high-dollar judgments against Bayer, the company is lobbying state legislatures to shield it from future lawsuits and to annul at least some of the 50,000 claims that are currently active, according to a New Republic report.

In 2018, German pharmaceutical giant Bayer acquired Monsanto, producer of the controversial pesticide Roundup, in a $63 billion all-cash deal described at the time as an “important milestone toward the vision of creating a leading agricultural company.”

Now, after a series of lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer led to high-dollar judgments against Bayer, the company is “lobbying state legislatures to shield it from future lawsuits and to annul at least some of the 50,000 claims that are currently active,” according to a New Republic report.

The legislation, if passed, would protect dangerous products that pose a threat to public health, critics told The Defender.

“The push by Bayer/Monsanto for legal immunity is a stark reminder of the growing chasm between corporate interests and public health,” said James Lyons-Weiler, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Institute for Pure and Applied Knowledge.

“This effort to sidestep accountability not only endangers our health and environment but also erodes the very fabric of justice. It’s a dangerous precedent that prioritizes profit over people and planet,” Lyons-Weiler added.