The number of U.S. lawsuits brought against Bayer’s newly acquired Monsanto has jumped to about 8,000, as the German drug maker braces for years of legal wrangling over alleged cancer risks of glyphosate-based weed killers.

Bayer had previously disclosed 5,200 such lawsuits against Monsanto, which it acquired in a USD63bn deal completed in June.

“The number of plaintiffs in both state and federal litigation is approximately 8,000 as of end-July. These numbers may rise or fall over time but our view is that the number is not indicative of the merits of the plaintiffs’ cases,” Bayer Chief Executive Werner Baumann told analysts in a conference call on Thursday, Reuters reports.

Bayer shares have lost more than 10% since Monsanto was ordered on Aug. 10 to pay USD289m in damages in the first U.S. lawsuit over glyphosate-based weed killers such as Roundup and Ranger Pro.

CEO Baumann reiterated Bayer’s view that the jury’s verdict on Aug. 10 was inconsistent with the science-based conclusions of regulators.

Bayer said it will initially petition the judge to reverse the jury’s verdict from Aug. 10, and “if necessary” challenge the ruling with California appellate courts, which will take at least a year.

“Nothing whatsoever has changed in the regulatory status of the product. There is simply very high demand, and has been for many decades for glyphosate. It is an invaluable tool for growers,” said Liam Condon, the head of Bayer’s newly enlarged Crop Science division.

Bayer also said on Thursday that it sees no reason to re-assess the legal risks from Monsanto.