Published November 4, 2026
The first test of what Roundup claims can still win after the Supreme Court's June decision has gone Monsanto's way. On October 29, 2026, a St. Louis County jury returned a unanimous verdict for the company in Aretino v. Monsanto, rejecting design-defect, negligence and fraud claims from all three plaintiffs, according to a release from BCLP, the law firm that represented Monsanto. Business press reports citing Reuters also describe a unanimous rejection and call it Bayer's first courtroom win since the ruling.
The plaintiffs, Theresa Aretino, Cynthia Fernandez and Betty Larkin, alleged that Roundup caused their non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Fernandez died before trial, as we reported when the trial opened. Because Monsanto v. Durnell limits failure-to-warn claims, the case turned on other theories. BCLP also says the judge excluded a key plaintiffs' expert, granted part of a directed verdict request and kept punitive damages from the jury. Those details come from the winning side's law firm, and we found no response from the plaintiffs' lawyers or any report on whether they will appeal.
One verdict does not bind any other court or jury, and this one came on the evidence and rulings specific to these three plaintiffs. Bayer's US litigation chief said it signals difficulty ahead for plaintiffs after Durnell, which is the company's view rather than a legal finding. The Supreme Court's ruling did not directly address design-defect claims, and other judges may treat them differently, as an Idaho ruling last month showed.
The larger question for most claimants remains the proposed $7.25 billion class settlement, which is under review by a Missouri state court judge in St. Louis after a September hearing. Speaking with Bayer's third-quarter results on November 3, CEO Bill Anderson said approval "could be any week now," and Bayer expects it before Christmas, Reuters reports. That is the company's expectation, not a court date. Reuters says the deal is aimed at tens of thousands of claims in state and federal courts. Anderson also said Bayer's negative €3 billion free cash flow for the first nine months reflects known litigation-related payments.
If you or a family member were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after regular Roundup exposure, see Atumio's Roundup case page for a free eligibility review, or start your case review directly.