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Merck And Co : Merck & Co

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Group 8 ACG5065(O2MBAS19)

Merck & Co. Vs. Competitors

Merck & Co., founded in 1891 as the United States subsidiary of the German company, Merck, is a pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered out of Kenilworth, NJ. It employs approximately 68,000 people, and manufactures medications used in diabetes, infectious diseases, and oncology along with multiple kinds of vaccines. Merck & Co. (MRK) is a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. In studying MRK’s strength in the industry, we selected GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, two established companies, as benchmarks to determine MRK’s competitiveness. For the analysis, we will give a brief history of the companies. After the background, we will examine their FY2016 statements using key …show more content…

Unlike the others, MRK also makes products for animal health. Compared to AZ and GSK, MRK had fewer drugs come off patent in 2016, which helped them maintain strong sales revenue. The introduction of MRK’s novel cancer agent, Keytruda, was an advantage as it was the first drug of its kind. Keytruda came to market in 2015. In 2016, its sales increased 148% from the previous year to $1.4 billion. It is projected to continually increase in profit in the next five years as it becomes more established in the market.

One of Merck’s disadvantages is that they will lose some of their exclusivity in the market as several patents expire in 2017. The drugs coming off patent include: InVanz, a commonly used antibiotic in hospitals; Dulera, a respiratory drug; and Zetia and Vytorin, drugs commonly used in cardiovascular diseases. As generic drugs are introduced, other companies will be able to produce them and drive down the price.

Analysis of Companies Financial Statements

MRK is the largest of its competitors with assets of $95.3 billion, while GSK and AZ have about half of that at $59 billion and $50.6 billion, respectively. MRK’s total current debt is a third of AZ’s and an eighth of GSK’s. The balance sheet also reveals that MRK has 40 times as much stockholders’ equity in comparison to GSK and four times that of AZ. Since MRK doesn’t have much tied up in liabilities, it means that they are more liquid. MRK’s liquidity allows them to reward their

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