Merck loses $531 million after charges
The drugmaker Merck & Company said on Thursday that it lost $531 million in the fourth quarter as a result of nearly $4 billion in charges, including write-offs and restructuring costs from its acquisition of the Schering-Plough Corporation.
US drug maker Merck said Tuesday it more than doubled net profit in 2008, to $7.8 billion, as it restructured in the face of a ``very difficult'' economic environment.