Merck
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Merck Resolves Securities Class-Action Lawsuits Related to the ENHANCE Trial
February 14, 2013 8:06 am | News | Comments
Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with plaintiffs to resolve two federal securities class-action lawsuits. The suits are pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against Merck, Schering-Plough Corporation and certain of their current and former officers and directors.
Merck to Repurchase $5B in Common Stock
May 21, 2013 5:41 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) — Merck & Co Inc. said it will repurchase $5 billion worth of...
Moody's Lowers Merck's Long-Term Debt Rating
May 14, 2013 6:11 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday lowered the long-term debt ratings of drug maker Merck...
Merck Resolves Securities Class-Action Lawsuits Related to the ENHANCE Trial
February 14, 2013 8:06 am | News | Comments
Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that it has reached an...
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FDA Has Safety Concerns with Merck Insomnia Drug
May 20, 2013 11:42 am | by MATTHEW PERRONE - AP Health Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsFederal health regulators say an experimental insomnia drug from Merck can help patients fall asleep, but it also carries worrisome side effects, including daytime drowsiness and suicidal thinking. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday released its review of the company's sleep aid,...
Higher Prices for MS Drug Help Merck
May 14, 2013 5:46 am | by DAVID McHUGH, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsHigher prices for its multiple sclerosis drug Rebif helped German pharmaceutical and high-tech materials company Merck KGaA post a 54 percent rise in first-quarter profit. Merck also saw stronger sales of materials for liquid-crystal displays and raised its profit forecast.
Lawsuit Alleges Merck Discriminates Against Women
May 9, 2013 11:48 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Merck & Co. sales representative is suing the drugmaker for at least $100 million, saying Merck doesn't give women equal opportunities for advancement and punishes employees for taking maternity leave. Kelli Smith, a Merck employee since 2004, says the company's sales plans create...
Drugmakers, Health Groups Bring Poor Girls Vaccine
May 9, 2013 7:58 am | by LINDA A. JOHNSON,AP Business Writer | News | CommentsTwo multinational drugmakers are teaming up with top global health groups to protect millions of girls in the world's poorest countries from deadly cervical cancer. Starting with pilot programs in eight Asian and African nations, the ambitious project ultimately is intended to inoculate more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries by 2020.
Merck: FDA Reviewing its Ragweed Allergy Therapy
May 8, 2013 12:47 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsWHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) — Drugmaker Merck & Co. says the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing its second application to sell a new type of allergy treatment meant to gradually reduce allergic reactions over time, rather than just relieving sneezing, itching and other symptoms...
FDA Approves Merck Combination Cholesterol Pill
May 3, 2013 5:56 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsWHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) — Merck & Co. said Friday that it received U.S. marketing approval for the new combination cholesterol drug Liptruzet, which combines the company's drug Zetia with a generic version of the mega-blockbuster drug Lipitor. The Food and Drug Administration approved...
Fitch Affirms Merck Ratings but Downgrades Outlook
May 3, 2013 1:54 pm | by LINDA A. JOHNSON - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsFitch Ratings said Friday it's affirmed its ratings for Merck & Co., but downgraded its rating outlook for the world's third-biggest drugmaker to "Negative" from "Positive." Fitch's ratings cover about $20.5 billion in outstanding Merck debt, including the drugmaker's long-term issuer default...
Generic Competition Cuts Merck's Q1 Sales, Profit
May 1, 2013 9:04 am | by LINDA A. JOHNSON, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsDrugmaker Merck & Co. on Wednesday reported lower first-quarter results and cut its 2013 profit forecast by 15 cents a share. Merck tried to reassure investors by announcing a huge share buyback, up to $15 billion worth of its stock, but its share price dropped nearly 3 percent in premarket trading after its revenue missed expectations.
Merck Touts Surge in Experimental Drugs
April 30, 2013 7:50 am | by LINDA A. JOHNSON - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsMerck & Co. will tout a big surge in the company's pipeline of experimental drugs and a couple of promising new partnerships when it reports first-quarter results before the stock market opens Wednesday. WHAT TO WATCH FOR: CEO Kenneth Frazier...
Merck and Pfizer to Develop and Commercialize Ertugliflozin for Diabetes
April 29, 2013 8:10 am | News | CommentsMerck and Pfizer Inc. today announced that they have entered into a worldwide (except Japan) collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of Pfizer’s ertugliflozin (PF-04971729), an investigational oral sodium glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Merck Announces Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Advanced Melanoma
April 24, 2013 9:32 am | News | CommentsMerck announced the FDA has designated lambrolizumab as a Breakthrough Therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Lambrolizumab is Merck's investigational antibody therapy targeting Programmed Death receptor (PD-1) that is currently being evaluated for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma, and other tumor types.
Merck, Bristol-Myers Will Test Hepatitis C Regimen
April 22, 2013 9:19 am | News | CommentsMerck and Bristol-Myers Squibb will run a mid-stage clinical trial of a drug regimen designed to treat the most common type of the hepatitis C virus. The trial will study a combination of Bristol's drug daclatasvir, and Merck's MK-5172.
EMD Serono Expands Global Research & Development Hub in Massachusetts
April 18, 2013 10:43 am | News | CommentsEMD Serono, Inc., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today the continued expansion of the company’s presence in the United States, resulting in an estimated 20% increase in EMD Serono’s employee base from last July to the end of 2014.
Aeterna Zentaris Transfers Cetrotide Manufacturing Rights to Merck KGaA
April 17, 2013 7:57 am | News | CommentsAeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that its German subsidiary has entered into binding agreements with various partners and licensees with respect to the manufacturing rights and obligations for its Cetrotide product. The principal effect of such agreements is to transfer manufacturing rights and to grant a manufacturing license for Cetrotide to a subsidiary of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, in all jurisdictions.
FDA Accepts Merck’s NDA for an Investigational Tablet Formulation of the Antifungal NOXAFIL® (posaconazole)
April 10, 2013 10:08 am | News | CommentsMerck has announced that its NDA for an investigational, tablet formulation of the company's antifungal agent, NOXAFIL®, has been accepted for review by the FDA. Merck currently markets NOXAFIL Oral Suspension for prophylaxis of invasive Aspergillus and Candida infections in patients 13 years of age and older who are at high risk of developing these infections due to being severely immunocompromised
Merck: FDA Reviewing Tablet to Eliminate Allergy
March 28, 2013 8:12 am | by LINDA A. JOHNSON,AP Business Writer | News | CommentsMerck & Co. said Wednesday that federal regulators are reviewing its application to sell a new type of treatment for grass pollen allergy that gradually reduces allergy symptoms over time, rather than just temporarily relieving the sneezing and itching.
Cerecor Acquires Merck Experimental Drugs
March 20, 2013 11:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsCerecor, a development-stage biotechnology company, said Wednesday it agreed to acquire potential treatments for Parkinson's disease and other central nervous system disorders from Merck & Co. Cerecor Inc. of Baltimore said it is gaining the worldwide rights to develop and market drugs called...
Merck: FDA Needs More Time to Review Surgery Drug
March 15, 2013 12:09 pm | by LINDA A. JOHNSON - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsDrugmaker Merck & Co. said Friday that U.S. regulators have delayed a decision on whether to approve a drug, already rejected once, for helping anesthetized patients "wake up" after surgery. The world's third-biggest drugmaker said the Food and Drug Administration notified the company that it...
Drugmakers, Interpol Ramp Up Fight Against Fakes
March 12, 2013 1:01 am | by LINDA A. JOHNSON - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsMore than two dozen of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies have agreed to provide funding and other support to Interpol's battle against counterfeit prescription drugs, the international police agency said Tuesday. Interpol's newly created Pharmaceutical Crime Program aims to help health...
LabCorp Names Merck Exec to Board
March 11, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMedical laboratory operator Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings said Monday that Merck executive Adam Schechter will join its board of directors on April 1. Schechter is the president of Merck & Co.'s worldwide human health business, and LabCorp said he has worked for the company since 1988.
Merck Names Perlmutter President of Merck Research Labs
March 7, 2013 7:54 am | News | CommentsMerck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the appointment of Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., as executive vice president and president of Merck Research Laboratories (MRL), effective April 15. Dr. Perlmutter will succeed Peter S. Kim, Ph.D., who has served in the role since 2003.
Merck KGaA Q4 Net Profit More Than Doubles
March 7, 2013 2:48 am | by DAVID McHUGH - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsGerman pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA more than doubled net profit in the fourth quarter, helped by higher prices for its Rebif multiple sclerosis drug and the company's ongoing restructuring. Net profit rose to €272 million ($355 million), from €133 million in the same quarter the year...
CEO: Risks Key for Merck to Succeed, Help Patients
March 1, 2013 12:15 pm | by LINDA A. JOHNSON - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsMerck & Co. CEO Kenneth C. Frazier is convinced nearly everyone, from patients to long-term investors, wants the world's third-largest drugmaker to take big risks. So Merck is plunging ahead in one of medicine's toughest challenges — finding a drug to slow Alzheimer's disease — despite...
Pennsylvania AG Announces Settlement with Merck over Vioxx
February 22, 2013 12:26 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPennsylvania's attorney general is announcing an $8.3 million settlement with pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. over allegations the company did not properly disclose studies about the risks of Vioxx. State prosecutors said Friday proceeds from the settlement will be directed to Pennsylvania's...
Merck and Samsung Bioepis Enter Biosimilars Development and Commercialization Agreement
February 20, 2013 7:59 am | News | CommentsMerck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd., entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize multiple pre-specified and undisclosed biosimilar candidates. Under the agreement, Samsung Bioepis will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development, process development and manufacturing, clinical trials and registration.
