Schering-Plough purchase hikes Merck sales, profit

[February 16, 2010]  WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) -- Drugmaker Merck & Co. posts huge jumps in revenue and profit in the fourth quarter, mainly due to its purchase of longtime partner Schering-Plough Corp.

Merck says it made $6.49 billion as sales jumped to $10.09 billion, fueled by the addition of Schering-Plough's products and higher sales for Merck vaccines and some of its top-selling drugs. Those include asthma and allergy pill Singulair and blood pressure pills Cozaar and Hyzaar.

The Whitehouse Station, N.J., company is reporting earnings per share of $2.35.

The report is the first since Merck bought Schering-Plough in November for $41.1 billion, making the combined operation the world's second-biggest pharmaceutical company.

[Associated Press]

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