Bayer wins fourth Roundup weedkiller case in U.S

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – A U.S. jury found Bayer’s Roundup weedkiller did not cause an Oregon man’s cancer, the German agriculture and pharmaceuticals company said on Saturday, handing the firm its fourth consecutive trial victory over such claims.

The verdict, reached on Friday by the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Oregon, is “consistent with the assessments of expert regulators worldwide as well as the overwhelming evidence from four decades of scientific studies concluding that Roundup can be used safely and is not carcinogenic”, Bayer said.

“We continue to stand behind the safety of Roundup and will confidently defend the safety of our product as well as our good faith actions in any future litigation.”

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Bayer brands such as Roundup and RangerPro. It has been at the centre of mass litigation in the United States brought mostly by residential gardeners claiming the weedkiller caused their cancer.

The company has spent billions of dollars to settle close to 100,000 Roundup cases.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Mark Potter)