Comments on: Merck Still Struggles With Adult Hepatitis B Vaccine

By: Former SP

Former SP — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:45:28 +0000

Merck earnings waaaaaaay down! Biggest reason was costs related to separation from former SP employees. They could have saved about $500 - 600 MM if they didn’t let Fred and cronies rob them blind! In addition ,they’ve kicked thousands of others out on the street - many of them good hard-working people who didn’t deserve it. Merck management has rocks for brains!

By: Condor

Condor — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:53:04 +0000

Actually, I suspect this old Hep B vaccine is VERY low margin, in Canada and the EU, SFM.

Not a loser, but clearly no Isentress.

In fact, a few days ago, I speculated that MAYBE Merck is planning a “silent exit” from the Hep B vaccine space — leaving it to GSK, thus:

Given that Merck stopped manufacturing its Hep B (not Hep C) Recombivax HB® vaccine over a year and a half ago, and is now talking about allocating that production away from West Point, PA (a union facility) to Durham, NC (a non-union facility), could it be that New Merck actually intends to surrender this market space to GSK? [As a side issue, is Merck permitted to do so, under the recently-ratified USW Local No. 10-86 three year collective bargaining agreement? I dunno. . . .]

Great stuff, Ed!

Namaste

By: SFM

SFM — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:40:23 +0000

But wait - I thought pharma companies didn’t really make money from vacccines? They just produce them out of the goodness of their hearts!

Eyes rolling . . .