A jury in San Francisco unanimously ruled that glyphosate-based Roundup, a widely-used weed killer sold by Bayer, has contributed to causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in California resident Edwin Hardeman, the BBC reported.

The pharmaceutical group has strongly rejected claims that its Roundup product was carcinogenic. Following the announcement, Bayer’s share plunged, dropping almost 12% to EUR61.62.

The next stage in the trail, which starts this week will consider Bayer’s liability and damages, Hardeman’s lawyers will present evidence which allegedly shows Bayer’s efforts to influence scientists, regulators and the public regarding the safety of their products.

Hardeman, aged 70, is said to have treated his property in Sonoma Country, California regularly with the herbicide from 1980 to 2012 and was eventually diagnosed with the life-threatening condition.

Another California man was awarded USD289m in August after a state court jury ruled that Roundup caused his cancer. The sum was reduced later to USD78m and is currently on appeal, noted the publication.

An additional Roundup-related trial is scheduled to being in the California state court in Oakland on March 28, involving a couple who claim the weed killer has caused their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Bayer acquired Monsanto, the US-based company which produces Roundup, back in 2018 for the sum of USD66bn. Glyphosate was introduced by Monsanto in 1974, but its patent expired in 2000. However, the chemical is sold by various manufacturers. In the US, more than 750 products are based on it.

In the 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, concluded that glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic to humans.” However, the US Environmental Protection Agency, as well as European Food Safety Authority is unlikely to cause cancer in humans.