Bayer AG received preliminary court approval on March 4 for a proposed $7.25 billion settlement intended to resolve a substantial portion of lawsuits alleging that its Roundup weedkiller causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to court documents and company statements.
The settlement, which requires final approval from the Missouri court overseeing the litigation, aims to address claims from tens of thousands of plaintiffs who assert they developed cancer after exposure to Roundup. Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, inherited the litigation stemming from allegations that the glyphosate-based herbicide was not adequately labeled with warnings about potential health risks.
While the proposed settlement covers current and future non-Hodgkin lymphoma claims, Bayer maintains that Roundup does not cause cancer. The company’s position has been challenged in numerous trials, resulting in billions of dollars in verdicts against Monsanto and, subsequently, Bayer. As of March 5, 2026, over 3,887 Roundup claims are pending in federal court, and Bayer has been ordered to pay more than $6 billion in verdicts since October 2023, according to Sokolove Law.
The $7.25 billion settlement is structured with declining, capped annual payments over a period of up to 21 years, providing Bayer with greater financial certainty, the company stated. The agreement was reached after 18 months of negotiations facilitated by a neutral mediator, according to Judge Timothy Boyer’s memorandum accompanying the preliminary approval order.
However, the path to final resolution remains complex. Some plaintiffs have petitioned to intervene in the settlement process, and the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a related case, Monsanto v. Durnell, in January. Bayer has indicated that the Supreme Court case and the class settlement are independent but mutually reinforcing elements of its strategy to manage the Roundup litigation.
To date, Bayer has settled approximately 100,000 claims for around $11 billion. Despite the significant financial commitments, the company continues to face ongoing litigation and scrutiny regarding the safety of glyphosate. As of March 2026, approximately 170,000 Roundup claims have been filed alleging a link between glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
