Bayer announced the launch of an alternative to Glyphosate

 Bayer's herbicide Glyphosate has been criticized for years for being harmful to health, and there have been many lawsuits, especially in the United States. The company is currently working on alternatives

The controversial herbicide Glyphosate has become a perennial and most expensive issue for Bayer, especially in the United States. There are still tens of thousands of cases in U.S. courts related to the drug, which has been criticized as carcinogenic.

Bayer said it is currently working on alternatives to Glyphosate, but stressed the safety of existing drugs. CEO Bill Anderson told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that a new substance has been tested on real plants. He has yet to name the product, which Bayer stresses is the first breakthrough innovation in the field in 30 years.

But it will be some time before alternatives hit the market. Bayer plans to go public in 2028.

 A 'new approach' to litigation 

Regarding the legal action in the United States, Anderson said Bayer was seeking "new ways" to be able to resolve legal disputes "in and out of court."

As of the end of January, there were still about 54,000 open Glyphosate-related cases in the U.S., up another 2,000 from October last year, DPA reported. By the end of 2023, Bayer has set aside the equivalent of 5.7 billion euros for this purpose.

In the past, U.S. courts have ruled differently on lawsuits: in some cases, Bayer has been able to get acquittals, while in others, the company has been obliged to pay damages - sometimes in the billions of dollars.

Recently, at the end of January, a Philadelphia court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding him $2.25 billion in damages. Bayer announced an appeal.

In fact, Glyphosate has no solid evidence and is not officially recognized as harmful to health. 

The herbicide Glyphosate was developed by U.S. company Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018, and a legal battle ensued over the agent's sale in the United States under the name Roundup.

For years, critics have rated Glyphosate as a potential carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), also classified the herbicide as "probably carcinogenic" in 2015. 

Bayer has consistently denied the allegations. CEO Anderson also stressed again in a newspaper interview: "Glyphosate is safe.

The European Food Authority, the European Food Safety Authority, also declared last year that there were "no serious problem areas" for humans and the environment. In November, the European Commission announced that Glyphosate use should be approved for another ten years, but with restrictions. 

In Germany, Glyphosate can only be used in certain circumstances, such as areas at risk of erosion or fields where weeds are particularly stubborn. Its use is generally prohibited in water protection areas.