WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) -- Drugmaker Merck & Co.'s second-quarter profit nearly tripled from a year ago, when about $2 billion in charges hurt results. Merck also said Friday that it will cut up to 11,830 jobs.
The maker of asthma and allergy drug Singulair and Type 2 diabetes pill Januvia said Friday that it's starting another restructuring progam, which will eliminate 12 percent to 13 percent of jobs by 2015. That would amount to 10,920 to 11,830 of Merck's current 91,000 positions.
The company has been under a restructuring program since it bought Schering-Plough Corp. in November 2009 and started eliminating nearly 20,000 positions. Merck said Friday it's on track to achieve that program's goal -- $3.5 billion in annual cost savings -- by the end of 2012.
Merck's net income was $2.02 billion, or 65 cents per share, up from $752 million or 24 cents a share, a year earlier. Earning excluding one-time items, it matched analyst expectations of 95 cents per share.
Revenue totaled $12.15 billion, up 7 percent. Analysts expected $11.81 billion.
Merck also raised the lower end of its adjusted profit forecast by 2 cents, to $3.68 to $3.76 per share. But it now expects only $1.95 to $2.17 including charges, down from its April forecast of $2.04 to $2.39 per share including one-time charges. It expects $1.59 to $1.73 in charges during the year, for restructuring, acquisitions and other items.
Favorable foreign exchange rates gave a 4 percent boost to revenue. Merck's top-selling drugs were Singulair at $1.35 billion and Januvia and combination diabetes pill Janumet, which together brought in $1.04 billion.
