Bayer Secures Proposed $7.25 Billion Settlement in Roundup Cancer Lawsuits
German pharmaceutical and agricultural giant Bayer has reached a proposed $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, the company announced on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The agreement aims to resolve claims from approximately 65,000 plaintiffs in U.S. State and federal courts.
The lawsuits center around allegations that Bayer failed to warn users that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers. Plaintiffs claim they developed these illnesses after exposure to the weedkiller, either through home or occupational use. The proposed settlement involves annual payments into a special fund over up to 21 years, with individual payouts varying based on factors like Roundup usage, age at diagnosis, and the severity of their cancer.
Bayer acquired Roundup in 2018 as part of its $63 billion purchase of U.S. Agrochemical company Monsanto. This deal brought with it the existing legal challenges related to the herbicide. Despite the settlement, Bayer maintains that decades of studies demonstrate the safety of glyphosate for human use. The company emphasized that the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing.
The settlement is contingent on a minimum number of plaintiffs opting in and requires approval from the St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri. Bayer has reserved the right to cancel the agreement if too many plaintiffs choose to opt out. “Litigation uncertainty has plagued the company for years, and this settlement gives the company a road to closure,” said Bayer CEO Bill Anderson.
This proposed settlement builds on previous efforts to address Roundup-related litigation. In 2020, Bayer announced a settlement to resolve approximately 125,000 filed and unfiled claims for up to $10.9 billion. More recently, a California jury awarded a plaintiff $332 million after finding Monsanto failed to adequately warn consumers about the risks of Roundup. The decision underscores the significant financial and reputational risks associated with the ongoing litigation.
Bayer also announced on Tuesday that it had reached agreements to resolve other Roundup-related cases, though the terms of those settlements were not disclosed. The company now anticipates its total litigation liability will increase from 7.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion) to 11.8 billion euros ($13.9 billion) as a result of these resolutions. Roundup remains available for sale online and from major retailers.
Recent market reactions have been mixed, with initial gains following the announcement tempered by investor skepticism regarding the long-term financial implications of the deal, as reported by Handelsblatt. Some analysts suggest the settlement could make Bayer an attractive takeover target, according to RP Online. Meanwhile, the use of glyphosate continues to be a topic of debate, with ongoing monitoring of its application in regions like North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, as detailed by WDR.
The agreement comes as Bayer CEO Bill Anderson has reportedly begun receiving congratulatory messages, as noted by DIE ZEIT, signaling a potential turning point for the company in navigating the complex legal landscape surrounding Roundup.
The proposed settlement is also being viewed as a positive step towards restoring investor confidence in Bayer, as a course target of 100 euros is now seen as realistic, according to WirtschaftsWoche.
