Article title: A review of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate by four independent expert panels and comparison to the IARC assessment.
Authors: Williams, G. M., Aardema, M., Acquavella, J., Berry, C., Brusick, D., Burns, M. M., de Camargo, J. L. V., Garabrant, D., Greim, H. A., Kier, L. D., Kirkland, D. J., Marsh, G., Solomon, K. R., Sorahan, T., Roberts, A., & Weed, D. L.
Journal: Critical Reviews in Toxicology
Bibliometrics: Volume 46(S1), pages 3–20, Year 2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2016.1214677
When this article was originally published on 28th September 2016, the contributions, contractual status and potential competing interests of all authors and non-author contributors were not fully disclosed to Critical Reviews in Toxicology. Specifically, the Acknowledgements and Declaration of Interest were not complete. After further clarification from the authors, these sections are corrected to reflect the full contributions, contractual status and, potential competing interests of all authors and non-author contributors and read as follows:
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the extensive comments received from nine independent reviewers selected by the Editor and who were anonymous to the authors. These comments were very helpful in revising the manuscript. Ashley Roberts would like to thank his colleague at Intertek, Barry Lynch, for assistance in the preparation of the manuscript and William Heydens of Monsanto for providing a regulatory history overview for use by the authors in the preparation of this overview paper and his review of a preliminary draft of the overview manuscript and the final manuscript. The authors welcome the opportunity to correct the omission of the contributions of Barry Lynch, Intertek, and William Heydens, Monsanto in the original Acknowledgments. These individuals were not considered for authorship because they did not participate in the deliberations of the Panel and did not contribute to the conclusions drawn by the Panel. The conclusions were independently formulated by each of four Panel Sub-Groups as detailed in the individual papers.
Declaration of Interest
This overview paper (paper) is part of a supplement, the preparation of which was coordinated by Intertek Scientific & Regulatory Consultancy (Intertek) under the leadership of Ashley Roberts. It was prepared subsequent to completion of the four manuscripts as an overview and presented the opinions and conclusions of four groups of the expert panel.
The expert panels were organized and supported administratively by Intertek. Funding was provided to Intertek by Monsanto Company, which is a primary producer and marketer of glyphosate and related products. All the expert panelists other than John Acquavella and Larry D. Kier were compensated through a contract with Intertek. John Acquavella and Larry D. Kier were compensated through existing consulting contracts with Monsanto Company. The employment affiliations of the authors are as shown on the cover page. The authors participated in the review process and preparation of this overview paper as independent professionals and not as representatives of their employers.
Monsanto also supported presentation of the Panel’s findings and conclusions by Gary Williams and Tom Sorahan as a poster entitled “Expert Panel Review of the Carcinogenic Potential of the Herbicide Glyphosate” at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting in Arlington, VA, December 6-10, 2015, prior to the publication of the manuscripts.
William Heydens of Monsanto reviewed a draft of this overview paper and suggested wording changes but did not comment on the opinions and conclusions of the expert panel. The opinions expressed, and final conclusions set out in this overview paper were those of the listed authors and no one else.
While Intertek (formerly Cantox) has not previously worked on glyphosate-related matters for the Monsanto Company, previous employees (Ian Munro and Douglass Bryant) of Cantox, have worked in this capacity. Ian Munro and Gary Williams, with the assistance of Douglass Bryant, prepared a safety and risk assessment of Roundup® herbicide (glyphosate), which was supported by Monsanto (Williams et al, 2000).
Gary Williams, Sir Colin Berry, David Brusick, Joao Lauro Viana de Camargo, Helmut A. Greim, David J. Kirkland, and Tom Sorahan have previously served as independent consultants for the Monsanto Company, some serving on the European Glyphosate Task Force. Keith R. Solomon previously served as an independent consultant for the Monsanto Company on the deregulation of RR alfalfa in the US (2012-2014). In collaboration with Cantox, Dr. Solomon contributed to an ecotoxicological risk assessment for Roundup® herbicide, which was published (Giesy et al, 2000). In addition, between 2014 and 2016, he served on a scientific advisory board to Dow AgroSciences, which markets pesticides, including glyphosate. John Acquavella and Larry D. Kier have also served as independent consultants and were previously employees of the Monsanto Company. John Acquavella was employed by Monsanto between the years 1989 and 2004. He is a consultant on a legal case unrelated to glyphosate that involved a former Monsanto industrial chemical plant. Larry Kier was employed as a consultant by Monsanto to provide support for the Glyphosate Expert Panel in the areas of genotoxicity and oxidative stress. Larry Kier did review the report as it was being written and provided his expertise when requested by the panel members. After the final draft of the report was written Larry was added as a co-author and genotoxicity Expert Panel member based on a unanimous decision of the original genotoxicity Expert Panel Members.
Helmut Greim has previously reviewed the available long-term studies in rodents and has published a paper (Greim et al., 2015) together with three coauthors. One of them, an employee of Monsanto, provided the original data from the studies conducted by Monsanto, the other two authors were independent consultants, one of them a member of the glyphosate task force.
David Garabrant served in 2014-16 on a scientific advisory board to Dow Agro Sciences, which markets pesticides including glyphosate. He was jointly retained by Bayer Corporation; Bayer CropScience LP; Bayer CropScience Holding, Inc.; Dow AgroSciences, L.L.C.; BASF Corporation; Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., Deere & Company, Lesco, Inc.; and Monsanto in litigation matters concerning glyphosate and leukemia. He also provided consultation in February 2016 to an attorney representing Pharmacia (formerly Monsanto) in litigation that did not involve glyphosate. Tom Sorahan has consulted for Monsanto on litigation matters involving glyphosate. Tom Sorahan has received consultancy fees and travel grants from Monsanto Europe SA/NV as a member of the European Glyphosate Toxicology Advisory Panel and participated in the IARC Monograph Meeting for volume 112, as an Observer for the Monsanto Company. Douglas L. Weed has consulted on litigation matters for Monsanto that did not involve glyphosate.
Other than David Garabrant and Tom Sorahan, none of the authors had previously been involved in any litigation procedures involving Monsanto and glyphosate.
Marilyn Aardema, Michele M. Burns, Gary Marsh and Ashley Roberts had not been previously involved in any activity involving glyphosate and as such declare no potential conflicts of interest.
The authors apologize for any errors or omissions in the original disclosure.