Monsanto wins unanimous jury verdict in first Roundup trial since Supreme Court ruling

A Missouri circuit court jury reached a unanimous verdict in favor of Monsanto Oct. 29 in the three-plaintiff case of Theresa Aretino, et al. v. Monsanto Company, the first Roundup trial since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Monsanto v. Durnell.

The jury found for Monsanto on the design defect, fraud and negligence claims that each of the three plaintiffs pursued at trial following the Supreme Court’s decision in Durnell, which preempted their failure-to-warn claims.

“We are pleased with the jury’s favorable verdict for Monsanto validating our belief that there is no evidence to prove design defect, fraud or negligence claims in the Roundup litigation,” said Bill Dodero, United States general counsel and global head of litigation. “This verdict should send a strong signal that plaintiffs who wish to pursue claims in the court system following the Durnell ruling will face significant challenges both in demonstrating they have viable claims and putting forth the necessary evidence to prove them in court.”

First trial following Durnell

In June 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the Durnell Roundup case, affirming that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act expressly preempts state law claims based on failure-to-warn theories when the Environmental Protection Agency has made a definitive determination on product safety.

Failure-to-warn claims have been central to Roundup litigation. With those claims unavailable in this case, the Aretino plaintiffs pursued design defect, fraud and negligence claims. The verdict marks the first trial to test the sufficiency of evidence supporting those claims following the Durnell ruling.

Glyphosate’s safety

Monsanto describes glyphosate as one of the most studied agricultural tools in history. The company maintains that scientific evidence and regulatory assessments worldwide support the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides when used as directed. According to Monsanto, the Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly determined that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic and has consistently approved Roundup labels that contain no cancer warnings.

Monsanto said it will continue to support the safety of its glyphosate-based herbicides and vigorously defend its products in remaining litigation.