Judge says Monsanto cancer case can move forward

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that lawsuits against agricultural giant Monsanto could proceed and that key plaintiffs’ witnesses may testify. The lawsuits allege that Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup caused users to develop cancer.

This move represents a win for victims, but they will still face an uphill battle at trial, as the judge called their claims “shaky” but admissible.

Thousands of individual plaintiffs claim Monsanto’s widely used weedkiller RoundUp caused them to develop cancer and that Monsanto provided no consumer warning. Specifically, the lawsuits link the ingredient glyphosate to an increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and claim that the company knew about the risk and failed to warn the public, going so far as to suppress research that suggested the product was dangerous. The ingredient glyphosate is considered a probable human carcinogen according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.  […]

Lawsuits claim Roundup weed killer causes cancer

Lawsuits Allege: Roundup Weed Killer Linked to Cancer

Hundreds of lawsuits allege that Roundup, a popular weed killer used on everything from crops to home gardens, has caused cancer in those exposed to it. They also claim that the makers of Roundup knew about the cancer risk, and failed to warn consumers.

Specifically, plaintiffs claim that exposure to Roundup increases the risk of:

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) including B-cell and T-cell lymphoma
• Leukemia

The main ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, is the most widely used herbicide in the world.

Monsanto Misstates Research Findings

The lawsuits also allege that chemical giant Monsanto deceived consumers about the safety of their product. Though it is marketed as safe enough to use around pets and humans, studies have found that Roundup potentially very harmful to humans.  Court documents of Monsanto records and correspondence suggest that Monsanto worked with federal regulators at the EPA to manipulate the research and findings regarding the safety of glyphosate. […]