Supreme Court to hear Bayer's appeal to block thousands of Roundup weedkiller lawsuits

Core Viewpoint - The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear Bayer's appeal to limit lawsuits claiming that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, which could potentially save the company billions in damages [1][2]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings - Bayer is appealing a Missouri Court of Appeals ruling that upheld a $1.25 million verdict awarded to a plaintiff diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after using Roundup [2][4]. - The company argues that federal law governing pesticides should preempt state law claims, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not found evidence that Roundup increases cancer risk [7][14]. - Bayer is currently facing approximately 65,000 similar claims in state and federal courts related to Roundup [4][8]. Group 2: Financial Implications - Bayer shares rose nearly 5% following the announcement that the Supreme Court would hear the case [2][8]. - The company has already paid around $10 billion to settle most Roundup lawsuits pending as of 2020, but has not reached a settlement for future cases [11]. - A favorable ruling from the Supreme Court could significantly reduce the number of lawsuits Bayer faces, potentially saving the company billions in damages [1][9]. Group 3: Company Strategy - Bayer's CEO, Bill Anderson, stated that the court's decision is a crucial part of the company's strategy to manage ongoing litigation [3]. - The company has indicated that it may withdraw Roundup from the US market if litigation continues to escalate [15]. - Bayer acquired Roundup as part of its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto in 2018 and maintains that decades of studies support the safety of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup [12][16].