Bayer Proposes $7.25 Billion Plan to Settle Roundup Cancer Cases

The settlement aims to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits claiming Roundup weedkiller caused cancer.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Bayer's Monsanto unit has reached a proposed $7.25 billion nationwide settlement to resolve tens of thousands of current and future lawsuits claiming that its Roundup weedkiller caused cancer. The deal, which requires court approval and a minimum number of plaintiffs to opt in, would establish a long-term claims program funded by capped annual payments over up to 21 years. Bayer said the settlement does not require an admission of liability or wrongdoing.

Why it matters

Roundup is one of the most widely used weedkillers in the U.S., and Bayer has faced a wave of lawsuits from plaintiffs who say they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers after using the product. This settlement aims to resolve the bulk of the litigation, which has weighed on Bayer's stock price since it acquired Monsanto in 2018.

The details

Under the proposed settlement, individuals could receive up to $198,000 or more, with payouts determined by a tiered system that considers exposure, age at diagnosis, and cancer type. Bayer said it has also reached confidential settlements to resolve other Roundup cases with specific law firms, although it did not provide details on those deals. The company said the settlement is designed to head off future lawsuits, and allows people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and exposed to Roundup prior to the deal to file claims for up to 21 years.

  • Bayer announced the proposed settlement on Tuesday, February 18, 2026.
  • The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a related case at the end of April 2026, which Bayer says remains essential to resolving the Roundup litigation.

The players

Bayer

A German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company that acquired Monsanto, the maker of Roundup weedkiller, in a $63 billion deal in 2018.

Monsanto

An American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology company that was acquired by Bayer in 2018 and is the maker of the Roundup weedkiller.

Motley Rice, Seeger Weiss

Law firms that negotiated the proposed class action settlement on behalf of the plaintiffs.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Supreme Court case, scheduled for oral arguments at the end of April 2026, remains essential to resolving the Roundup litigation, according to Bayer.

The takeaway

This settlement represents a major step in Bayer's efforts to resolve the wave of lawsuits it has faced over Roundup, which have weighed on the company's stock price since its acquisition of Monsanto. However, the deal still requires court approval and a minimum number of plaintiffs to opt in, and Bayer says the upcoming Supreme Court case remains crucial to its overall strategy for resolving the litigation.