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Bayer is hoping to introduce a substitute for glyphosate — the active ingredient in controversial weed killer Roundup — within four years, Bill Anderson, chief executive of the German chemical company said.
"We are testing this new substance on real plants. It's the first revolutionary innovation in this area in 30 years. Our objective is to have it on the market in 2028," he told German Sunday newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
Bayer has faced numerous court cases in the United States linked to the suspected cancerous effects of Roundup produced by Monsanto, a US company Bayer acquired in 2018 for $60 billion.
At the end of January, 54 000 claims were still outstanding out of 167 000 initially registered.
Bayer has been fined billions of dollars, with most cases still under appeal. Anderson told the newspaper his group wants to speed up the settlements.
"We will improve our defence strategy and see what can be done outside the courts to limit our legal risks," he said, declining to provide further details.
