Bayer AG is ready to settle up on the tens of thousands of outstanding claims that Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller causes non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and not for the first time. Just like before, there’s no guarantee of either court approval or that plaintiffs will accept the terms.
Submitted to a circuit court judge in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 17, 2026, the settlement agreement may have surprised some, as it comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s agreement to review Durnell v. Monsanto. Bayer is challenging whether federal law should shield them from failure-to-warn lawsuits based on state labeling laws.
The proposed $7.25 billion settlement would be paid through capped annual payments for up to 21 years, but it may be premature to consider the long-running legal battle resolved. If accepted by the judge and approved by a suitable number of claimants, the proposed settlement would resolve a significant number of Roundup cancer lawsuits and related cases. Bayer’s offer of $10 billion to settle Roundup claims in 2020 fell apart when a judge questioned provisions for future claims. With claimants diagnosed under age 60 predicted to receive some of the highest awards, reportedly up to around $165,000 on average, many plaintiffs may choose to opt out for a chance at higher compensation
In the Weeds Again
The weedkiller Roundup was developed by Monsanto in the 1970s, which was purchased by Bayer in 2016. Sprayed on everything from large agricultural fields to backyard gardens, it’s considered the world’s most popular and widely used herbicide in agrochemical history. Roundup’s active ingredient is glyphosate, which was determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2020 to “likely not be a human carcinogen.” After a successful challenge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2022, the EPA was ordered to reevaluate its position on glyphosate's potential human health risks. As of this writing, it has not finished the evaluation. The issue is just as murky at the international level, with studies both finding and not finding connections between glyphosate and cancers like NHL.
The EPA’s current position on glyphosate is reflected by the lack of any cancer-related warnings required under federal law on Roundup’s labeling. In numerous lawsuits already litigated, Monsanto has maintained that state laws requiring warnings about glyphosate are preempted by the EPA’s Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and constitute mislabeling. Lobbying has led to laws shielding the company from failure-to-warn lawsuits passed in North Dakota and Georgia.
As shown by trial results and the thousands of claims already settled, Monsanto’s stance has yielded mixed results, with verdicts split around 50/50. In addition, some of the larger awards have been significantly reduced on appeal. In a statement released on the company’s website, Bayer CEO Bill Anderson claimed a desire to “end the litigation uncertainty” through the proposed settlement. Given the possibility of the pending Supreme Court ruling ending glyphosate lawsuits on the state court level, it’s a bold choice.
What It Means if the Proposal Is Accepted
Regardless of whether the offer is approved or how the Supreme Court rules on Durnell, the numerous class-action suits have already brought about a modicum of change. While glyphosate remains a key ingredient in Monsanto's products used by commercial farmers, Bayer agreed to stop using it in the consumer version of Roundup. As is par for the course, the proposed settlement contains no admission of liability or wrongdoing, with Monsanto maintaining that their products are safe for use.
It’s unclear whether Bayer’s proposal will be approved by the court or accepted by enough plaintiffs to make it feasible, but it’s already raising new concerns for the company. Bayer's stock rose about 7% after the announcement, then declined as investors weighed the uncertainty surrounding Roundup litigation.
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