Merck on Hook for Talc Claims After $14 Billion Bayer Deal (1)

Merck & Co. can’t escape asbestos-related liability claims stemming from talcum-based product lines it sold to Bayer AG, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed Thursday in a one-page order.

The justices upheld the Delaware Chancery Court’s decision to dismiss Merck’s efforts to pass litigation to Bayer from consumers who alleged the company’s talc powder products contained asbestos, prior to the closing of the 2014 deal.