In a major setback for plaintiffs suing Monsanto and Bayer over claims that its RoundUp weedkiller causes cancer, a California federal judge has dismissed a key study often cited in the more than 170,000 cases as "junk science."
U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria rejected the testimony and research findings of Luoping Zhang, a toxicology professor at UC Berkeley, saying his methodologically was flawed and unreliable, Northern California Record reports.
Zhang's meta-analysis, which attempted to link glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp) to cancer, was deemed insufficient as it relied on other studies rather than producing new, conclusive research, the judge ruled.
Chhabria added that Zhang’s findings failed to take into account exposure to other chemicals, amongst other flaws.
South Carolina resident Angelo Bulone filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in December 2019 claiming that his chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diagnosed in 1995, was caused by exposure to glyphosate from 1988 to 1991 while using weed killers on a golf course he owned.
Bulone would "ride in the back of a golf cart with a handheld sprayer, spraying every inch of the golf course" with RoundUp for "three hours a day, 25 days a month, every month of the year from 1988 to 1991,” according to the lawsuit.
It wasn’t until 2019 when he says he realized his cancer could be linked to the product. Bulone's situation is similar to thousands of others who have filed lawsuits alleging that RoundUp caused cancer in its users.
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Glyphosate, a key ingredient in RoundUp and the one allegedly causing cancers, is a chemical that works by stopping a crucial enzyme plants need to grow, which is why RoundUp can keep places like driveways, patios, and farmlands clear of weeds.
But glyphosate's effectiveness comes with a caveat: there's a heated debate about whether it's safe to use, with various forms of cancer being reported by those exposed to it over long periods, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, b-cell lymphoma, mantle cell and follicular lymphoma.
While the EPA has been hesitant to directly link glyphosate to cancer, other organizations and studies, including one from the University of Washington, suggest a strong connection. The study indicated that glyphosate exposure could raise the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by 41%. Additionally, the CDC's findings that most Americans have traces of RoundUp in their systems underscore the herbicide's pervasive use.
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Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, has faced numerous lawsuits over RoundUp, with juries awarding substantial damages in several cases. In 2020, Bayer agreed to a $11 billion settlement to resolve most claims. Despite this, litigation continues, with mixed results in various courts.
This latest ruling has significant implications for the ongoing litigation, with thousands of similar lawsuits pending and many relying on studies like Zhang's to establish a link between RoundUp and cancer.
If you've used RoundUp and later developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or another related cancer, you might consider a lawsuit against Bayer. But time is of the essence, as each state has a statute of limitations that dictates how long you have to take legal action. This period generally starts when you're diagnosed or when you first suspect a link between your condition and RoundUp.
This is where seeking legal help comes in. By filing a lawsuit, affected individuals can potentially receive compensation for their suffering and financial losses. Click Here for a FREE Claim Review from a Roundup Lawyer.
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