Jurors heard testimony about a new study, in the latest Roundup trial underway in California’s Alameda County Superior Court, involving claims filed by an elderly couple that glyphosate exposure from the popular weed killer caused them cancer.
This was the first time a compelling piece of evidence regarding glyphosate's carcinogenic nature was presented during the trial. The testimony was based on a recently published meta-analysis that glyphosate-based herbicides can increase the risk of cancer by as much as 41%. The authors of the paper analyzed all earlier studies linking glyphosate to cancer, including the Agricultural Health Study, which Monsanto frequently cited as proof of the weed killer's safety. The epidemiologist who testified for the plaintiffs said, she trusted the findings and asserted that the study published by the Agricultural Health Study was flawed as it involved data manipulation to hide glyphosate's carcinogenicity.
The couple regularly used Roundup weed killer between 1971 and 2011 and alleged that their cancer was a result of glyphosate exposure. They filed a lawsuit against Monsanto in 2017 seeking compensation for the damages. Bayer AG is facing more than 13,000 Roundup lawsuits throughout U.S. courts.
