The weedkiller Roundup for sale in Encinitas, California, in 2017.Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters · Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters A group of 14 law firms representing nearly 20,000 plaintiffs is seeking to intervene in Bayer’s proposed class-action settlement of Roundup litigation, citing concerns that the deal will not be fair to cancer sufferers. The group filed both a motion to intervene and a motion for an extension of time for court preliminary approval of the deal in St Louis city circuit court in M ...

Skip to main content Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv The request is the first major organized pushback against Bayer's attempt to resolve most of the 65,000 remaining Roundup claims in state and federal courts. Reporting by Diana Novak Jones in Chicago, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Purchase Licensing Rights Read Next Governmentcategory Google legally reported user's child sex ab ...

Bayer AG (OTC:BAYRY) on Tuesday proposed a $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming that its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. The product was originally made by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018 for more than $60 billion. “Litigation uncertainty has plagued the company for years, and this settlement gives the company a road to closure,” said Bayer CEO Bill Anderson. If approved by the court, the settlement would reduce potential exposure stemming from a future Supreme C ...

Group 1: Executive Order and Domestic Supply - President Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 18 to mobilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) to secure the domestic supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides [1] - Elemental phosphorus has been designated as a "scarce material that is critical to national defense and security," highlighting its importance in military readiness and agricultural productivity [2] - The U.S. currently relies on Bayer AG as the sole domestic producer of elemental phosphorus, raising concerns about vulnerability to foreign supply chains [2] Group 2: Impact on Bayer and Agribusiness - The executive order places Bayer's U.S. operations, particularly its Monsanto division, under federal protection to ensure corporate viability [4] - Bayer is facing litigation related to its glyphosate-based Roundup, with a proposed settlement of $7.25 billion for lawsuits claiming the product causes cancer [5] - Following the executive order, agribusiness ETFs such as the VanEck Agribusiness ETF and iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF may attract increased investor interest due to the sector's new government-protected status [6] Group 3: National Defense and Resource Allocation - The order emphasizes the importance of domestic elemental phosphorus mining for American economic and national security, as it is a key input for various defense technologies [7] - The presidential authority is delegated to the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of War, to prioritize contracts and allocate materials necessary for maintaining an adequate supply of these critical inputs [8]

Core Insights - The company Zydus Lifesciences has achieved a positive regulatory outcome with a USFDA inspection that concluded with zero observations, reinforcing its compliance standards in regulated markets [1][8] - Zydus Lifesciences launched ANYRA, India's first indigenous biosimilar of Aflibercept 2 mg, marking a significant milestone in its product portfolio [2][9] Regulatory Developments - The USFDA conducted a Pre-Approval Inspection (PAI) at Zydus's Ahmedabad injectables facility, which resulted in no observations, indicating strong compliance [1][8] - This regulatory clearance is expected to enhance investor confidence and attention towards the company's stock [6][9] Product Launch and Market Opportunity - ANYRA is indicated for the treatment of serious retinal disorders, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular oedema (DME), and diabetic retinopathy (DR) [4][9] - The launch of ANYRA strengthens Zydus's presence in the ophthalmology segment and aims to improve access to affordable biologic therapies in India [4][9] - The market opportunity is substantial, with over 100 million people living with diabetes in India, and an estimated 7 to 8 million individuals affected by diabetic retinopathy [5][9] Stock Performance and Technical Analysis - On the stock market, shares of Zydus Lifesciences settled 0.85% lower at Rs 902.40, but the recent developments may lead to increased investor interest [6][9] - The technical analysis indicates a 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 50.1, suggesting neutral momentum, while the stock is trading below six out of its eight simple moving averages (SMAs), indicating a bearish trend [7][9]

Group 1 - Bayer's Monsanto unit proposed a $7.25 billion nationwide class settlement to resolve current and future lawsuits alleging that Roundup caused cancer, aiming to end years of litigation [1] - The settlement would provide payments over up to 21 years, funding a claims program for individuals alleging Roundup exposure caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with individual payments varying based on age, exposure, and severity of cancer [1] - The settlement is designed to cover the majority of the existing 65,000 claims Bayer faces and also compensate future claimants diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma [1] Group 2 - Bayer can terminate the settlement if insufficient plaintiffs support it, but the number of required opt-ins has not been disclosed, leaving uncertainty about court approval [1] - Some law firms representing Roundup plaintiffs support the settlement, but others are still reviewing it, with at least one firm signaling opposition [1] - The lengthy claims program aims to address future cancer claims, with the company required to provide annual notices to alert potential future claimants [1] Group 3 - Bayer has a case before the U.S. Supreme Court that could impact the litigation landscape, as the court will decide if Bayer can be sued under state law for failing to warn about cancer risks associated with Roundup [1] - A favorable ruling for Bayer could eliminate thousands of claims, but plaintiffs may still pursue other liability theories, making the settlement necessary [1] - The proposed deal does not guarantee closure, as it could fall apart without sufficient support or court approval, and claimants can opt out to pursue their claims independently [1]

Economic Indicators - U.S. February Empire State manufacturing index fell to 7.1, a smaller decline than expectations of 6.4 [3] - Economists expect December Durable Goods Orders to drop -1.8% month-over-month, while Core Durable Goods Orders are expected to rise +0.3% month-over-month [8] - U.S. Building Permits for December are expected to be 1.400 million and Housing Starts to be 1.310 million [9] - Industrial Production and Manufacturing Production are expected to rise +0.4% month-over-month in January [10] Federal Reserve Insights - U.S. rate futures indicate a 92.1% probability of no rate change and a 7.9% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the next FOMC meeting in March [1] - Fed Governor Michael Barr stated that interest rates should remain unchanged until clearer evidence of inflation moving toward the 2% target is seen [2] - The minutes from the Fed's January meeting will be closely scrutinized to assess the debate on rate cuts versus keeping rates steady [7] Stock Market Movements - Wall Street's main stock indexes ended positively, with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings surging over +12% after Elliott Investment Management acquired a more than 10% stake [4] - Southwest Airlines climbed more than +6% after UBS upgraded the stock to Buy with a price target of $73 [4] - ZIM Integrated Shipping Services jumped over +25% following an acquisition agreement with Hapag-Lloyd for $4.2 billion [4] - Genuine Parts tumbled more than -14% after posting downbeat Q4 results and announcing plans to split its auto and industrial parts units [4] Corporate Earnings - Prominent companies such as Analog Devices, Booking Holdings, Carvana, DoorDash, and Occidental Petroleum are set to release quarterly results [11] - Cadence Design Systems climbed more than +7% in pre-market trading after posting upbeat Q4 results and issuing solid FY26 guidance [18] - Palo Alto Networks slumped more than -6% in pre-market trading after cutting its full-year adjusted EPS guidance [18] International Market Developments - The Euro Stoxx 50 Index is up +0.97%, supported by strong gains in defense and bank stocks [13] - U.K. January CPI fell -0.5% month-over-month and rose +3.0% year-over-year, while January Core CPI fell -0.6% month-over-month and rose +3.1% year-over-year [14] - Japan's January Trade Balance stood at -1,152.7 billion yen, with exports rising +16.8% year-over-year [16]

Core Viewpoint - Bayer's CEO Bill Anderson emphasized that the U.S. class settlement regarding Roundup weedkiller is a significant addition to the ongoing Supreme Court case, aimed at minimizing legal risks associated with claims of non-Hodgkin lymphoma caused by the product [1]. Group 1: Settlement Details - The settlement is intended to resolve both current and future claims related to Roundup and its alleged link to non-Hodgkin lymphoma [1]. - Anderson stated that entering into the settlement is crucial for reinforcing Bayer's position in the Supreme Court case [1]. Group 2: Legal Strategy - The CEO highlighted that both the settlement and the Supreme Court case are necessary and mutually reinforcing elements in Bayer's legal strategy [1].

Core Viewpoint - Bayer is planning a $10.5 billion settlement initiative to resolve current and future cancer lawsuits related to its Roundup weedkiller, as reported by Bloomberg [1]. Group 1: Settlement Details - The company intends to propose a $7.5 billion class-action settlement for cases filed in Missouri state court, aimed at addressing both existing and potential claims over a 20-year period [1]. - Bayer is also preparing to allocate $3 billion for settlements of ongoing U.S. cases where former Roundup users allege that the herbicide caused their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [1]. Group 2: Historical Context - Bayer has previously paid approximately $10 billion to settle most Roundup lawsuits that were pending as of 2020, but has not yet secured a settlement for future cases [1]. - New lawsuits have continued to emerge since 2020, with plaintiffs claiming that they developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other cancers due to Roundup usage [1].

Core Insights - Veeva Systems announced that 13 of the top 20 biopharmaceutical companies have adopted Veeva Link Key People to enhance customer engagement and support AI initiatives globally [1] - The adoption of Link Key People has led to the addition of 38 new customers, with three of the top 20 biopharmas making it their global standard in the past year [1] Customer Engagement and AI Integration - Access to Veeva Link Key People strengthens data-driven decision-making, enhances targeting, and fosters engaging healthcare professional (HCP) interactions, ultimately benefiting patient healthcare [2] - The data from Link Key People has become integral to Bayer's data strategy, enriching AI-driven platforms and providing actionable business insights for long-term patient benefits [2] Value Delivery and Innovations - Link Key People provides valuable insights for medical and commercial teams, while analytics teams utilize Link data to enhance their AI models [3] - Recent innovations, including AI-powered summaries and personalized notifications, improve customer interactions and reveal new engagement opportunities [3] - The Link Direct Data API offers high-speed access to Veeva's data, further enhancing data accessibility for teams [3] Industry Impact and Strategic Relationships - The increasing use of Link Key People among top biopharmas and emerging biotechs is expected to advance engagement across the industry, leveraging deep Key Opinion Leader (KOL) data for strategic relationships [4] Veeva Data Cloud Integration - Link Key People is part of Veeva Data Cloud, which includes Veeva OpenData, Veeva HCP 360, and Veeva Compass, utilizing Veeva's Common Data Architecture to connect data and software [5] Company Overview - Veeva Systems provides industry cloud solutions for life sciences, serving over 1,500 customers, from large biopharmaceutical companies to emerging biotechs, with a commitment to innovation and customer success [6]