Roundup Herbicide Will Ditch Glyphosate, the Chemical Linked to Cancer

In the midst of ongoing litigation, Bayer announced that it will remove glyphosate – a chemical that has been linked to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – from its Roundup lawn and garden products.

Monsanto, which was later acquired by Bayer, was first taken to trial in 2018 after California resident Dewayne Johnson claimed that working closely with the herbicide led to his late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis. Since then, two more trials have taken place, one of which is ordering the company to pay $2 billion in damages for the potentially cancer-causing product.

Removing glyphosate from the commonly used weedkiller is one step in Bayer’s five-step plan aimed at future litigation against Roundup that may pop up in the future.

“We want to provide comfort to our investors that the glyphosate litigation exposure should now be reasonably accounted for and leaves significant upside in the event of a favorable Supreme Court decision on the case. It is important for the company, our owners and our customers that we move on and put the uncertainty and ambiguity related to the glyphosate litigation behind us. This clarity should also allow informed investors to direct their focus on operational performance, the quality of Bayer’s businesses and its intrinsic value”, said CEO Werner Baumann during an investor call, referred to in a statement.

Roundup’s new formulation, which will be reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is expected to hit shelves in 2023.

Additionally, Bayer said that they will work with the EPA to better label Roundup and include more information so that consumers can make more informed purchasing decisions. A website will also launch by the end of 2021 that provides even more information – including scientific studies on Roundup.

“We have set up a very strong team that reports directly to the Board of Management and is laser focused on the further execution of our five-point plan, while the Board of Management will now fully concentrate on business performance and strategy execution”, said Baumann.

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