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Article

22 May 2018

Author:
Carey Gillam, The Guardian

USA: Lawsuit alleging Monsanto's weed killer causes cancer to go to trial in June

"Landmark lawsuit claims Monsanto hid cancer danger of weedkiller for decades", 22 May 2018

...On 18 June, [DeWayne] Johnson will become the first person to take the global seed and chemical company to trial on allegations that it has spent decades hiding the cancer-causing dangers of its popular Roundup herbicide products – and his case has just received a major boost...Judge Curtis Karnow issued an order clearing the way for jurors to consider not just scientific evidence related to what caused Johnson’s cancer, but allegations that Monsanto suppressed evidence of the risks of its weed killing products...“The internal correspondence noted by Johnson could support a jury finding that Monsanto has long been aware of the risk that its glyphosate-based herbicides are carcinogenic … but has continuously sought to influence the scientific literature to prevent its internal concerns from reaching the public sphere...” Karnow wrote...Johnson’s case...is at the forefront of a legal fight against Monsanto.  Some 4,000 plaintiffs have sued Monsanto alleging exposure to Roundup caused them, or their loved ones, to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).  Another case is scheduled for trial in October...Monsanto has fiercely denied the allegations..A company spokeswoman did not respond to a request for additional comment.  How the Johnson lawsuit plays out could be a bellwether for how other plaintiffs proceed...Monsanto’s lawyers plan to introduce evidence that other factors caused Johnson’s cancer...and to present their own experts and research supporting safety...

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