Bayer and Monsanto announced they have agreed to a $66 billion merger which would see the German pharmaceutical and chemical company partner with the leading biotech GMO and seed producer, Monsanto.

When the merge is completed, the new combined company will become one of the largest agrochemical companies in the world.

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Biotech scientist extract and place the DNA, protein, and even bacteria of various plants, animals, or insects into foreign fruits, vegetables, and animals with the attempt to alter the production, yield, taste, or appearance of the product. If you wish to acquire more knowledge and learn more about human myostatin, click here.

Bayer agreed to pay $128 per share of the St. Louis-based Monsanto. This merger has raised a lot of speculation for antitrust regulators as Bayer will attempt to change Monsanto’s name due to its tainted reputation.

Monsanto, in the past has created chemicals used in both World Wars and in the Vietnam war, where Agent Orange herbicide was sprayed all over South Vietnam as part of the U.S. Army’s herbicides warfare program which lasted from 1961-1971.

Is the future of pharmaceuticals leading into biotech GMO medication? Through their merge the companies will now be able to exchange patents between one another and will be working alongside each other to produce new products.

Both companies have a similar reputation, with Bayer also providing chemicals used in warfare in the past century.Yet, the creator of aspirin, seems to believe they can overcome Monsanto’s history with a simple name change.

Bayer CEO Werner Baumann stated that there’s an opportunity for the companies to come together and “get beyond this image and reputation thing” by simply building on the trust people already instill upon Bayer pharmaceuticals.

In May 2016 Bayer was labeled the world’s most reputable pharmaceutical brand by the Reputation Institute, so a name change is definitely understandable and may actually serve to benefit both Bayer and Monsanto in the long run.

Both companies expressed they will provide better opportunities to research new products with the goal of helping farmers produce more food, but at what cost?

Monsanto and three of the other top seed and agrochemical companies already control more than 50 percent of the market, while still sticking farmers with the bill of pricier biotech seeds that are resistant to the herbicide Roundup.

Today, GMO crops such as soybeans, corn, papaya, cotton, and canola are commercially grown all over the world. Yet, there is also many countries who have outright bans on all GM crops, products, or seeds but the US FDA deems them safe.

The reason GMO’s are deemed safe in the US is because scientist hired by Monsanto are conducting the studies, which are short term studies and they are providing research that on paper may make GMO’s appear to be safer than they are.

Yet, multiple studies by scientist in countries outside of the US such as Russia and Europe, with even private US facilities finding that diets containing genetically engineered corn or soy cause serious health problems in rats and mice.

Health problems include various types of cancer, infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system to name a few.

Why the most reputable pharmaceutical company in the world would merge with a biotech giant like Monsanto has left room for plenty of speculation about the future of US medicine partnered with the science of biotech and GMO’s.