The pharmaceutical and agricultural conglomerate Bayer has transferred its business with the controversial herbicide glyphosate in the US to a standalone subsidiary named Ruveon. The decision was announced on Thursday and aims to tailor the business specifically to the requirements of the US market.
The glyphosate business outside the US is not part of the spin-off. Bayer emphasizes that Ruveon remains part of the Bayer Group.
The spin-off comes against the backdrop of a wave of lawsuits in the US that Bayer has been dealing with since its acquisition of the US seed giant Monsanto. The company faces allegations that glyphosate-based products pose cancer risks. By the end of 2026, Bayer aims to significantly reduce these risks.
At the same time, the glyphosate business has become less attractive for Bayer in recent years. The product has no patent protection and faces strong competition from low-cost Chinese suppliers. In 2025, Bayer’s global glyphosate revenue fell to 2.5 billion euros, with modest margins, according to company sources.
Source: www.handelsblatt.com
