Both sides were taking a breather Friday as the newest Roundup cancer trial has a ‘dark’ day.
After opening statements Thursday, Pilliod v. Monsanto will resume Tuesday, April 2, in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, California. Pilliod is part of a group of cases grouped together under the California Roundup Judicial Council Coordination Proceedings ( JCCP). Plaintiffs expect to open testimony with toxicology expert Chris Portier, a former U.S. government scientist. The trial is expected to run into mid-May.
The Hardeman V. Monsanto case that concluded Wednesday with an $80 million verdict was the first case to go to trial as part of a separate group of cases being handled as multi-district litigation (MDL) proceedings in federal court.
Monsanto, which was purchased by Bayer AG last summer, is facing roughly 11,000 plaintiffs all claiming exposure to Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicides caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma and that Monsanto hid the risks.
Bayer investors have pushed share prices down so low that Bayer’s market valuation has fallen below the $63 billion in paid for Monsanto.
Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Tom Claps has warned Bayer shareholders to brace for a global settlement of between $2.5 billion and $4.5 billion.
“We don’t believe (Monsanto) will lose every single trial, but we do believe that they could lose a significant majority,” he said.
