Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has signed a deal with Endocyte to develop and commercialize the cancer drug vintafolide.

Merck & Co. Inc. Signs Cancer Drug Deal

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Endocyte to develop and commercialize Endocyte’s investigational therapeutic candidate vintafolide (EC145).

Merck, through a subsidiary, will gain worldwide rights to develop and commercialize vintafolide.

Peter S. Kim, executive vice president and president Laboratories, said that, “Vintafolide is a promising and innovative late-stage cancer drug candidate. In addition to pursuing the lead indication of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, Merck plans to further evaluate its potential for treatment of multiple other cancer types”.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares were at 37.95 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a -1.4% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.59
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.53
Zack’s Rank: 5 out of 14 in the industry

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has donated $100K for the Cardiac Cath Lab program at RWJ Rahway.

Merck & Co. Inc. Makes $100k Cardiac Donation

According to reports, the Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Foundation has granted $100k to the Cardiac Cath Lab program at RWJ Rahway.

The fund will be used for the training and staffing of registered nurses and radiology technologists for the newly renovated Cardiovascular Lab at RWJ Rahway.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s grant supports the training curriculum to provide best practice, technical knowledge, skills and the expertise necessary for outstanding outcomes in diagnostic cardiac catheterizations and emergency angioplasties.

The Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Foundation has been a long-time supporter of the hospital, and has partnered with RWJ Rahway on many initiatives including major renovations to the Emergency Department and the Cardiac Telemetry Unit.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares are currently standing at 37.31.

Price History
Last Price: 37.31
52 Week Low / High: 29.47 / 39.43
50 Day Moving Average: 38.32
6 Month Price Change %: 13.2%
12 Month Price Change %: 13.1%

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is reportedly making efforts to settle all Vioxx painkiller claims.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Answering Painkiller Claims

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, has reportedly decided to settle all Vioxx painkiller claims in Canada for a sum between C$21.8 million and C$36.9 million.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) withdrew the Vioxx painkiller from the market in 2004 after finding it could cause heart attacks and strokes, and has already settled fraud claims worth billions.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares were at 39.20 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 17.5% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.53
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.5
Zack’s Rank: 1 out of 14 in the industry

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), the drugmaker, has plans to work with the Serum Institute on pneumococcal vaccine for children.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Working On Vaccine

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has announced that it will work with Serum Institute of India Ltd. to extend a children’s pneumococcal vaccine for use in emerging and developing countries.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Serum Institute have declared that they will help supply the development and manufacture of the vaccine and both of them will have the rights to market the vaccine in separate regions.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stocks were at 31.51 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a -10.6% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.65
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.68
Zack’s Rank: 1 out of 14 in the industry

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and AbD Serotec have signed a license agreement for use of HuCAL GOLD in vaccine research.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Signs Research Deal

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and MorphoSys AG’s research and diagnostic antibody unit AbD Serotec have signed a license accord for use of MorphoSys AG’s HuCAL GOLD in Vaccine Research.

According to the contract, Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has granted access to HuCAL GOLD for research purposes, with the choice to improve to MorphoSys’s latest proprietary antibody library HuCAL PLATINUM.

MorphoSys’s research and diagnostic antibody segment AbD Serotec will receive annual user fees from Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) for access to the HuCAL technology and license fees for clinical monitoring reagents.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stocks are currently standing at 33.44.

Price History
Last Price: 33.44
52 Week Low / High: 31.06 / 37.68
50 Day Moving Average: 35.74
6 Month Price Change %: 3.2%
12 Month Price Change %: -2.7%

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has partnered with China’s Simcere Pharmaceutical Group.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Makes China Deal

In order to serve the rapidly expanding health care needs in China, Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has signed a framework agreement to establish a joint venture with Simcere Pharmaceutical Group.

Adam Schechter, president, Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Global Human Health said, “This partnership is another step forward in Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s strategy to grow our business in China and is fully aligned with the Chinese government’s goal to increase access to quality products.”

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares were at 36.18 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 6.3% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.65
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.59
Zack’s Rank: 3 out of 14 in the industry

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has decided to participate in new research efforts to eliminate HIV.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Continues HIV Battle

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has announced that company researchers will participate in two new joint efforts led by the famous academic institutions of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to keep moving towards getting rid of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Daria Hazuda, Ph.D., vice president, Merck Research Laboratories said, “Collaboration has been the hallmark of much of the progress made against HIV since the virus was first identified 30 years ago. Continued collaboration is absolutely essential to better understand HIV reservoirs and identify potential approaches to the daunting challenge of eradicating HIV. Merck is honored and excited to participate in these important new undertakings.”

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares are currently standing at 36.31.

Price History
Last Price: 36.31
52 Week Low / High: 31.06 / 37.68
50 Day Moving Average: 36.03
6 Month Price Change %: 4.7%
12 Month Price Change %: 0.3%

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has expanded its distribution deal with UPS.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Expands UPS Deal

Forbes.com has reported that Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), the American pharmaceutical company, has enlarged its distribution and logistics deal with UPS to distribute pharmaceuticals internationally.

According to the expanded deal UPS will manage the distribution, warehousing and transportation of Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s medicines and vaccines in Asia and Latin America, including China and Brazil.

UPS is also providing transportation services in Europe.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares were at 34.84 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 6.5% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.65
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.59
Zack’s Rank: 1 out of 14 in the industry