Sponsored by Merck & Co.

The new bosses at Sanofi-Aventis and GlaxoSmithKline are playing a cautious acquisition game, 13 and seven months respectively after taking control of the two big European drugmakers.

Merck & Co Inc, in the latest disappointment for its roster of experimental drugs, said on Friday its high-profile drug meant to treat heart failure missed goals of a pivotal late-stage study.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday it would buy some of the assets of Rosetta Biosoftware, part of a Merck & Co Inc unit which makes data management software for medical researchers, furthering Microsoft's push into the expanding healthcare technology business.

The U.S. Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it would hear an appeal by Merck & Co Inc of a ruling that reinstated a securities fraud lawsuit involving the company's disclosures to investors about its withdrawn Vioxx pain drug.

The U.S. Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it would hear an appeal by Merck & Co Inc of a ruling that reinstated a securities fraud lawsuit involving the company's disclosures to investors about its withdrawn Vioxx pain drug.

Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb reported lower earnings that beat expectations on Tuesday, but the U.S. drugmakers relied on aggressive cost cuts to make up for disappointing sales.

Merck & Co reported disappointing sales and earnings on Tuesday due to the global economic slowdown and plunging sales of its Gardasil vaccine, and announced a setback for its experimental migraine drug, sending its shares down 7 percent.

Merck & Co , which plans to buy rival drugmaker Schering-Plough Corp later this year, reported lower-than-expected sales and earnings that it attributed to the global economic slowdown.

Schering-Plough Corp , which Merck & Co is in the process of acquiring, reported higher-than expected first-quarter earnings on Tuesday as the drugmaker cut costs.

Stocks rose on Tuesday as investors snapped shares in beaten-down sectors including financials, materials and healthcare a day after the market hit lows not seen since 1997.

U.S. stocks fell and the S&P 500 marked its worst-ever start to a year on Friday, after the government said it will take a large stake in Citigroup's common shares, fanning fears it will increase its role in other major banks.

Stocks fell and the S&P 500 closed at a 12-year low on Friday, after the government said it will take a large stake in Citigroup's common shares, fanning fears it will increase its role in other major banks.

Stocks fell in volatile trade on Thursday as investors sold off shares of healthcare companies such as Merck & Co on worries that President Obama's budget proposal will strangle profits.

Stocks fell in volatile trade on Thursday as investors sold off shares of healthcare companies such as Merck & Co on worries that President Obama's budget proposal will strangle profits.

Merck & Co. won two cases related to its painkiller Vioxx on Thursday after two appeals courts in Texas and New Jersey, reversed verdicts against the company for damages and death in patients who took the drug.

Merck & Co. reported a Phase III trial which studies odanacatib for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal woman is underway which will include tests for breast and prostate cancer.

Merck & Co. said on Tuesday it agreed to pay $58 million to settle allegations that its ads for the once-popular painkiller Vioxx deceptively played down the health risks in 29 states, including the District of Columbia.

A Texas appeals court overturned a verdict of $7.75 million against Merck & Co. related to the painkiller Vioxx.

Merck & Co. said Monday it will cut 1,200 U.S. sales jobs in an attempt to save expenses amid the recent rejection of its Cordaptive cholesterol drug last week.

Merck & Co. reported late Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't approve the MK-0524A treatment or Cordaptive a cholesterol drug.

U.S. stocks declined for the first time in five days on Monday after Bank of America Corp. and National City Corp. reported earnings that fell short of expectations and added to concern that banks are being hard hit by the subprime mortgage crisis.

Merck & Co. was found conducting its own studies of the drug Vioxx, using names of scientific authors and writing academic articles, according to two documents from the Journal of the American Medical Association.

U.S. Stocks seesawed on Wednesday, closing in the green after forecasts of an economic recession drove investors into sectors seen as resistant to the looming economic contraction, such as health care and consumer companies.

U.S. stocks were mixed on Wednesday after Goldman Sachs Group forecast a recession in 2008 erasing gains from health care and consumer companies. Investors bought defensive stocks including drug makers such as Merck & Co and Pfizer Inc and those of consumer staple companies such as Altria Group Inc parent of cigarette maker Philip Morris.

Merck & Co on Tuesday forecast earnings would rise in 2008 as sales of new medicines offset the loss of exclusive U.S. rights to its Fosamax osteoporosis drug.

An unusual provision in Merck & Co Inc's settlement agreement concerning the painkiller Vioxx means many plaintiffs may have little choice but to accept the deal, the Wall Street Journal said Friday in its online edition.

The pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. said on Friday that it had settled Vioxx litigation for $4.85 billion.

Merck & Co has agreed to pay $4.85 billion to settle U.S. claims of heart attacks and strokes allegedly linked to its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, the drugmaker said on Friday.

Merck & Co (MRK.N) reported a better-than-expected profit on Monday, helped by sales of its vaccines and cholesterol drugs, and raised its 2007 profit forecast.