Merck Financial News

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on 28 February by including it in India’s Universal Immunization Programme to vaccinate 12 million girls annually. With 120,000 new cases and 80,000 deaths annually, India accounts for a quarter of global cervical cancer deaths.Infection by certain HPV strains can cause precancerous cell changes, which may eventually lead to cancer.Mint explains the rationale behind the plan to help stop cervical cancer – the second most common cancer among women in India – by leveraging the country's digital infrastructure and primary health centre network.The aim is to prevent cervical cancer in girls before they are exposed to the virus.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Sun Pharma would appear to have got itself a sweet deal when it agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of US-based Organon for $3.7 billion in cash at $14 per share.The US pharma company had outstanding debt of $8.6 billion at the end of 2025, annual sales of $6.2 billion and adjusted Ebitda of $1.9 billion (i.e., earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Its enterprise value of $11.75 billion, as widely reported, is the sum of its stock value and debt, less cash on hand.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. What do the following three companies have in common? Stellantis, owner of the Fiat, Jeep and Chrysler brands; Merck, which makes the world’s bestselling cancer drug; and Barry Callebaut, a Swiss chocolate-maker, which is particularly proud of its ruby flavour, neither sweet nor bitter. One answer: their capital-expenditure (capex) plans.

Shares of Merck are sliding in early trading after the drugmaker surprised Wall Street with a lower-than-expected 2025 sales forecast due partly to a pause in shipments of one of its top-selling products to China

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Owning stocks with big dividends might finally start paying off. Dividend-paying stalwarts such as JPMorgan Chase and Merck are primed to fare better in the coming year, some investors said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Dr. Edward Scolnick figures he needs five, maybe 10 more years to solve one of the brain’s greatest mysteries.

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading:

The Biden administration says Medicare recipients will save about $1.5 billion dollars on medications to for diabetes, heart disease, types of arthritis and other ailments under new prices negotiated with drug companies that will take effect in 2026

India Inc is transforming its approach to rewarding employees as Gen Z enters the workforce, moving from traditional certificates to digital rewards like badges, notes, and points for instant gratification, ToI reported on August 8. Companies such as Epsilon India, Roche Information Solutions India, Merck India, Thryve Digital, and Allstate India are leading this change, integrating innovative methods to engage and motivate younger employees. A standout initiative is Epsilon India’s ‘passport’ called ‘Citizen of Youniverse’. «People, especially the younger lot, like to post everything on Instagram. The ‘passport’ will get stamped every time an employee takes part in any office gathering or event,» said Sonali De Sarker, the company’s HR head. Roche Information Solutions India has launched an internal marketplace called Applause, said the report (by Veena Mani). «Points can be redeemed to buy anything. It could be a pair of headphones or tickets,» explained Raja Jamalamadaka, the company’s MD.

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Tuesday: PayPal, JetBlue rise; Merck, Lattice Semiconductor fall

HSM, the investment manager of SONG, said on Tuesday (2 July) that the former chief executive and founder of the company would be stepping out as chair once the takeover deal by private equity giant Blackstone is completed.  Matthew Read, senior analyst at QuotedData, said the announcement about Mercuriadis' future plans has «zero bearing» on SONG shareholders, as it made no change to the Blackstone deal. «The portfolio is being sold and this latest announcement from HSM does not change that, or the price that is being paid,» he added.  Merck Mercuriadis to step down as chair of Hi...

Gilead Sciences, a biotech company focused on treatments for cancer and HIV, isn’t pitching itself as an obesity drug developer. But that hasn’t stopped some Wall Street analysts from trying to do that on its behalf. Seasoned Jefferies analyst Michael Yee published a market-moving note to investors last week: He dug up recent patents and cross-referenced them with prior data to unearth what looked like the makings of an early-stage metabolic program that could one day become an obesity program.

Lupin said it has entered contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) business, with newly formed subsidiary, Lupin Manufacturing Solutions (LMS). The company on Monday named Abdelaziz Toumi (Abdel) as the chief executive officer of LMS. LMS will engage in the development, manufacture and sale of active pharmaceutical ingredients and is starting to build its CDMO.

Aurobindo Pharma on Friday said its wholly owned subsidiary TheraNym Biologics Pvt Ltd (TheraNym) has entered into a master service agreement with Merck Sharpe & Dohme Singapore for contract manufacturing of biologicals. TheraNym is an affiliate of another Aurobindo Pharma subsidiary CuraTeQ Biologics Pvt Ltd. The master service agreement, inked effective May 31, 2024, will see TheraNym contract manufacture biologicals for the domestic and international markets.

Merck Tuesday said it has appointed Dhananjay Singh as the managing director of Merck Life Science in India. Singh takes on the role in addition to his current position as head of science and lab solutions commercial, India. Effective April 1, Singh has taken over from Sreenath NS, who is retiring after 36 years of working with Merck in India.

Aurobindo Pharma on Thursday said the deadline for negotiations between its arm CuraTeQ Biologics and Merck Sharp & Dohme Singapore for contract manufacturing operations for biologicals has been extended till May next year. Last year in October, CuraTeQ Biologics Pvt Ltd and Merck Sharp & Dohme Singapore Trading Pte Ltd and its affiliates (MSD) had signed a letter of intent (LoI) for contract manufacturing operations (CMO) for biologicals, whereby the parties intended to conclude the negotiations by March 31, 2024. «In this regard, we further inform you that said negotiations are yet to be concluded and the parties to the LoI have agreed to extend the timelines with the intention to conclude the said negotiations by May 31, 2024,» Aurobindo Pharma said in a regulatory filing. As per the LOI, CuraTeQ proposed to serve the US-based biopharmaceutical company through its contract manufacturing subsidiary, TheraNym Biologics Pvt Ltd.

U.S. stocks broke out of a three-day lull and closed at another record high

stocks were higher on Wednesday, with the Dow leading gains and the S&P 500 setting a closing record, paced drugmaker Merck, while investors looked towards the next piece of inflation data and Federal Reserve commentary for signals on the rate path. Merck & Co advanced 4.96% as the best performer on the Dow after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its therapy for adults suffering from a rare lung condition.

Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Wednesday: Merck, Cintas rise; GameStop falls

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) shares are rallying Monday, with the stock up more than 10%, trading over the $114 per share mark. The move has seen MRNA climb to its highest level since January, adding to its gains so far this year after a dismal 2023.

By Brendan Pierson