Bayer lawsuits reach 42,700

Bayer faces a surge in lawsuits from people alleging that its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer, ratcheting up the legal pressure as the company engages in settlement talks.

There are now 42,700 US plaintiffs suing over Round-up (the herbicide inherited from Monsanto) following a blitz of advertising by attorneys seeking new clients that began after Bayer entered mediation discussions in May. The German company last reported facing 18,400 plaintiffs in July and said earlier this month that it expected a surge.