A Pennsylvania jury has awarded a $2.25 billion verdict against Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer, after determining that its Roundup weed killer caused a man's cancer. The plaintiff, John McKivison, 49, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after using Roundup on his property for 20 years. McKivison sued Monsanto in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and on Friday, the jury delivered its verdict, which includes $2 billion in punitive damages.

Attorneys Tom Kline and Jason Itkin, representing McKivison, stated that the jury's unanimous verdict was a condemnation of 50 years of misconduct by Monsanto and a declaration that its misconduct was in reckless disregard of human safety and a substantial cause of McKivison's cancer. They believe that the award amount sends a clear message that the multinational corporation needs top-to-bottom change.

Bayer, however, disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal, stating that it has strong arguments to get the verdict overturned and the excessive damage award eliminated or reduced. The company maintains that its products can be used safely and are not carcinogenic, consistent with the assessments of expert regulators worldwide.

This is not the first time Monsanto and Bayer have faced lawsuits regarding Roundup and its potential link to cancer. In 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer released a report suggesting that glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, is "probably carcinogenic to humans." However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) later stated that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used according to its current label and that it is unlikely to be a human carcinogen.

Several other cancer patients and their estates have sued Monsanto, including a man in California who was awarded $332 million and another man in Philadelphia who was awarded $175 million. Bayer has stated that it will appeal both of these verdicts as well.

The American Cancer Society notes that the cause of most lymphomas is unknown, but non-Hodgkin lymphoma has been linked to risk factors such as exposure to certain chemicals in herbicides and insecticides. Ongoing research aims to clarify the potential links between Roundup and cancer.

Bayer has already paid out over $10 billion in settlements to thousands of cancer patients and their estates who have sued Monsanto, alleging that Roundup causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and accusing the company of failing to adequately warn consumers of the risk. Despite these legal challenges, Monsanto has continued to sell Roundup, maintaining that it does not cause cancer and refuting the IARC report.

The recent verdict against Bayer marks the fifth consecutive loss in court for the company. Bayer has previously settled most of the pending Roundup cases for up to $10.9 billion in 2020. However, around 50,000 claims remain pending, with a total of 165,000 claims made against the company for personal injuries allegedly caused by Roundup.

The impact of this verdict goes beyond the monetary compensation awarded to McKivison. It serves as a significant blow to Bayer's reputation and raises questions about the safety of Roundup and the company's handling of the product. The outcome of Bayer's appeal will determine whether this verdict stands and whether the company will be forced to make substantial changes in its operations.