Deal with AZ fell through and Pfizer is looking for a deal with Merck now. There is already a codevelopment relationship with Pfizer and Merck. Pfizer is very interested in Oncology, Diabetes, and Vaccines at Merck. Ken is already making Merck more attractive for takeover by jettisoning business units not deemed "priorities". The salesforce is being trimmed more everyday and Merck is sitting on a lot of cash. He will get a nice package when this happens. More to come in the next several months.
Not gonna happen. Merck's best shot at salvation was letting J&J buy it just before the Schering merger was announced. The threat that J&J would swallow Mighty Merck was all it took to convince Merck to buy Schering. Fast Freddy had a lot less to do with it than people think. Making his payout even more incredible since it was J&J who did the heavy lifting on making the deal attractive to Merck.
Speculation. Obviously, it's possible. But not likely. Merck's pipeline is looking pretty dry these days. And the brain pool that used to be Merck's strength/advantage has long since left for greener pastures. Plus, it's far from certain the merger would be allowed by US regulators. It would create such a pharma Godzilla that market competition would be stifled even more than it already is. Lots of hurdles.
Pfizer has a co-promotion, co-development deal in diabetes with Merck. It was in the annual report. Ironic isn't it, that Merck may have to have Pfizer to now save it? It Won't matter to personnel however. Both companies already have too many mouths to feed.
Nice to see the post about why this would not happen and the reason for the L-SP merger vanished. The truth never lasts here, WHS is like white on rice about getting those posts pulled.
Nobody wants Merck. There is nothing that any organization would like to purchase here at Merck. This is why Merck leadership is selling divisions off for parts.
Pfizer wanted AZ so they could reduce their tax load by "moving" their HQ to the UK....that and the pipeline. AZ did not want to see a replay of what happened at the pyramid when Astra merged with Zeneca....HQ became warehouse....after lots of layoffs.