Businessweek

Merck & Co., Inc., a health care company, delivers health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. Segments The company’s segment includes Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, Consumer Care, and Alliances. Pharmaceutical This segment offers therapeutic and preventive agents, generally sold by prescription, for the treatment of human disorders. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products marketed either directly by the company or through joint ventures. Human health pharmaceutical products consist of therapeutic and preventive agents, generally sold by prescription, for the treatment of human disorders. The company sells these human health pharmaceutical products primarily to drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, government agencies and managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and other institutions. Vaccine products consist of preventive pediatric, adolescent and adult vaccines, primarily administered at physician offices. The company sells these human health vaccines primarily to physicians, wholesalers, physician distributors and government entities. The company also has animal health operations that discover, develop, manufacture and market animal health products, including vaccines, which the company sells to veterinarians, distributors, and animal producers. Additionally, the company has consumer care operations that develop, manufacture and market over-the-counter, foot care and sun care products, which are sold through wholesale and retail drug, food chain and mass merchandiser outlets, as well as club stores and specialty channels. Primary Care and Women’s Health Cardiovascular: The company offers Zetia (marketed as Ezetrol outside the United States); and Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) (marketed as Inegy outside the United States), cholesterol modifying medicines. Diabetes and Obesity: The company offers Januvia and Janumet for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Respiratory: The company offers Singulair; Nasonex (mometasone furoate monohydrate), an inhaled nasal corticosteroid for the treatment of nasal allergy symptoms; Clarinex (desloratadine), a non-sedating antihistamine; Dulera Inhalation Aerosol (mometasone furoate/formoterol fumarate dihydrate), a combination medicine for the treatment of asthma; and Asmanex Twisthaler (mometasone furoate inhalation powder), an inhaled corticosteroid for first-line maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 4 years of age and older. Women’s Health and Endocrine: The company offers Fosamax (alendronate sodium) for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis; NuvaRing (etonogestrel/ethinyl estradiol vaginal ring), a vaginal contraceptive ring; Follistim AQ (follitropin beta injection), a biological fertility treatment; Implanon (etonogestrel implant), a single-rod subdermal contraceptive implant; and Cerazette (desogestrel), a progestin only oral contraceptive. Other: The company offers Maxalt (rizatriptan benzoate), a product for acute treatment of migraine; Arcoxia (etoricoxib) for the treatment of arthritis and pain; and Avelox (moxifloxacin), which the company only markets in the United States, a spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic for the treatment of certain respiratory and skin infections. Hospital and Specialty Immunology: The company offers Remicade and Simponi for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Infectious Disease: The company offers Isentress; PegIntron (peginterferon alpha-2b), a treatment for chronic hepatitis C; Cancidas (caspofungin acetate), an anti-fungal product; Victrelis; Invanz (ertapenem sodium) for the treatment of certain infections; Primaxin (imipenem and cilastatin sodium), an anti-bacterial product; and Noxafil (posaconazole) for the prevention of invasive fungal infections. Oncology: The company offers Temodar (temozolomide) (marketed as Temodal outside the United States), a treatment for certain types of brain tumors; and Emend (aprepitant) for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced and post-operative nausea and vomiting