Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Citing Safety Of Roundup Weedkiller, Monsanto Commits To Long Legal Fight Against Lawsuits
The Associated Press: Monsanto Weed Killer Ruling Is 1st Step In Long Legal Battle
With its stock dropping and more lawsuits expected, Monsanto vowed Tuesday to press on with a nationwide legal defense of its best-selling weed killer Roundup after a San Francisco judge upheld a verdict alleging it causes cancer. Legal experts said the decision will have little value in courtrooms across the country where similar cases are pending, but it will likely lead to more lawsuits. Similar lawsuits doubled from 4,000 to 8,000 after a San Francisco jury awarded groundskeeper DeWayne Johnson $389 million in August. (Elias, 10/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Behind Bayer’s Tough Defense Of Roundup
Bayer AG’s $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto Co. this year made the German drug and chemicals company the world’s biggest supplier of crop seeds and pesticides—and brought it thousands of lawsuits alleging Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide causes cancer. But Bayer has a history of fighting big-ticket litigation and has seen much worse. So officials are projecting calm, even after a judge Monday rejected Bayer’s request to reverse an August jury verdict against the company in the first Roundup case to go to trial. (Randazzo, Bunge and Bender, 10/23)
