KENILWORTH - Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2020.
'We continue to execute on our strategic priorities and remain confident we will achieve solid full-year revenue growth despite the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for our products remains robust, and production, supply and distribution of our medicines, vaccines and animal health products are moving forward with minimal disruption,' said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. 'I am confident in our ability to advance our promising pipeline and clinical trials despite the challenging environment, and I believe that our leadership and track record of solid commercial execution will continue to drive long-term growth.'
GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share assuming dilution (EPS) was $1.16 for the third quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP EPS of $1.74 for the third quarter of 2020 excludes acquisition- and divestiture-related costs, restructuring costs, pretax charges of $1.1 billion related to certain license and collaboration agreements, and certain other items.
COVID-19 Research Highlights
Building on the company's experience with antivirals and vaccines, Merck advanced its multiple scientific programs in an effort to help combat SARS-CoV-2, specifically, Molnupiravir (formerly known as MK-4482) -- an orally available antiviral candidate in development for the treatment of COVID-19 in collaboration with Ridgeback Bio with the initiation of two large pivotal Phase 2/3 trials: a trial anticipated to enroll approximately 1,450 non-hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients (outpatient) and another planned to enroll approximately 1,300 hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients; V591 a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate that uses a measles virus vector platform has entered Phase 1 development and V590 a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in development in collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) that uses a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) platform, the same platform used for Merck's approved Ebola Zaire virus vaccine, will enter Phase 1 development shortly.
About Merck
For more than 125 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals - including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the 'company') includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).
Contact:
Peter Dannenbaum
Tel: (908) 740-1037
MERCK & CO., INC. 
