A Philadelphia jury ordered Bayer to pay nearly 3.5 million dollars after determining that its herbicide Roundup caused cancer in a woman, according to an announcement by the company itself.
This fifth consecutive defeat for Bayer, while significant, represents a much smaller amount than recent convictions totaling more than 2,000 million dollars.
Despite the unfavorable decision from the Philadelphia Court of Appeals, Bayer announced its intention to appeal, arguing that the verdict conflicts with the overwhelming scientific evidence in its favor.
In recent months, Bayer has faced larger verdicts in similar cases, including a settlement of 1,560 million dollars in November for three claimants.
The company has insisted that these rulings were affected by procedural errors and has reaffirmed its commitment to appeal.
The plaintiffs, who link their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to exposure to Roundup, have attributed their legal successes to growing scientific support. In contrast, Bayer maintained during the trial that the woman's illness was probably due to her smoking history.
Although Bayer has claimed that studies and regulators worldwide support the safety of Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, a federal appeals court ordered the United States Environmental Protection Agency to review its conclusion that glyphosate probably does not threaten human health.
With information from: El Economista
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