Company That Owns Round Up And Heart Medicine
The world of medicine and pharmaceuticals is a vast and complex one, with many different players involved. One of the biggest companies in this industry is Bayer, a German multinational corporation that operates in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, and high-tech materials. In recent years, Bayer has become known for its ownership of two controversial products: Roundup, a herbicide that has been linked to cancer, and Xarelto, a blood-thinning medication that has been the subject of numerous lawsuits. In this article, we will explore the history of Bayer, its acquisition of these two products, and the controversies surrounding them.
History of Bayer
Bayer was founded in 1863 by Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott in Barmen, Germany. Originally a dye factory, the company quickly expanded into pharmaceuticals and other chemical products. Bayer is responsible for many important innovations in medicine, including the development of aspirin in 1897. Today, the company is a global conglomerate with over 100,000 employees and operations in more than 80 countries.
Roundup
Roundup is a herbicide that was first introduced by Monsanto in the 1970s. Monsanto was acquired by Bayer in 2018 for $63 billion, making it one of the largest mergers in corporate history. Roundup contains glyphosate, a chemical that has been linked to cancer. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. Since then, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto and Bayer by people who claim that Roundup caused their cancer.
Bayer has consistently denied that Roundup is dangerous and has defended its safety in court. However, in 2020, the company announced that it would pay $10 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits filed by people who claim that Roundup caused their cancer. Despite the settlement, controversy surrounding Roundup and glyphosate continues, with many people calling for a ban on the herbicide.
Xarelto
Xarelto is a blood-thinning medication that was first approved by the FDA in 2011. It was developed by Bayer and marketed in the United States by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Xarelto is used to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke in people with atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE).
However, Xarelto has been the subject of numerous lawsuits filed by people who claim that the drug caused serious bleeding events, including internal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. Many of these lawsuits allege that Bayer and Janssen downplayed the risks of Xarelto and failed to adequately warn patients and doctors about the potential side effects.
In 2019, Bayer and Janssen agreed to pay $775 million to settle approximately 25,000 lawsuits related to Xarelto. Despite the settlement, controversy surrounding the safety of the drug continues, with some medical experts calling for more research into the potential risks and benefits of Xarelto.
Conclusion
Bayer is a major player in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries, with a long history of innovation and development. However, the company has also been the subject of controversy and criticism due to its ownership of Roundup and Xarelto, two products that have been linked to serious health problems. While Bayer has defended the safety of these products in court, it has also paid billions of dollars to settle lawsuits brought by people who claim to have been harmed by them. The controversies surrounding Roundup and Xarelto are likely to continue for years to come, as more research is conducted and more lawsuits are filed.