Merck & Co. 10-Q 2022-03-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022

OR

For the transition period from ______ to ______

Commission File No. 1-6571

Merck & Co., Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) (908) 740-4000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The number of shares of common stock outstanding as of the close of business on April 30, 2022: 2,528,805,025

Table of Contents

Part I - Financial Information

MERCK & CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME

(Unaudited, $ in millions except per share amounts)

MERCK & CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited, $ in millions)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 3 -

MERCK & CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

(Unaudited, $ in millions except per share amounts)

Showing the first 8K of 160K characters. Open the full section

Spin-Off of Organon & Co.

On June 2, 2021, Merck completed the spin-off of products from its women’s health, biosimilars and established brands businesses into a new, independent, publicly traded company named Organon & Co. (Organon) through a distribution of Organon’s publicly traded stock to Company shareholders. The distribution is expected to qualify and has been treated as tax-free to the Company and its shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The established brands included in the transaction consisted of dermatology, non-opioid pain management, respiratory, select cardiovascular products, as well as the rest of Merck’s diversified brands franchise. Merck’s existing research pipeline programs continue to be owned and developed within Merck as planned. The historical results of the businesses that were contributed to Organon in the spin-off have been reflected as discontinued operations in the Company’s consolidated financial statements through the date of the spin-off (see Note 2 to the condensed consolidated financial statements).

Other Developments

War in Ukraine

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. The Company’s primary concerns are the safety and well-being of its employees and ensuring patients and customers have continued access to medicines and vaccines needed for patient and public health. The Company is working cross-functionally across the globe to monitor and mitigate interruptions to business continuity resulting from the war, including its impact on Merck’s supply chain, operations and clinical trials. For humanitarian reasons, the Company is continuing to supply essential medicines and vaccines in Russia while working to maintain compliance with evolving international sanctions. Merck plans to donate profits resulting from its operations in Russia to humanitarian causes. The Company does not have research or manufacturing facilities in Russia, currently does not plan to make further investments in Russia, and has suspended screening and enrollment in ongoing clinical trials as well as planning for new studies in Russia, although the Company continues to treat patients already enrolled in existing clinical trials and collect data from these studies. The Company is also using its resources to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, including through donations of funds and products. The financial impacts of the war were immaterial to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the first quarter of 2022. Combined sales to Russia and Ukraine were approximately 1% of total Merck consolidated sales for the full year of 2021.

The combination of the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the resultant economic sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union (EU) and other governments are having pervasive effects in markets worldwide. The Company is unable to determine at this time the future impacts of this conflict either directly or indirectly on the Company’s business.

COVID-19 Update

Although COVID-19-related disruptions had some negative effects on sales for the first quarter of 2022, Merck continues to believe that global health systems and patients have largely adapted to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Merck’s sales of Lagevrio (molnupiravir), an investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine, were $3.2 billion in the first quarter of 2022. In the first quarter of 2021, COVID-19-related disruptions resulted in an estimated negative impact to Pharmaceutical segment sales of approximately $500 million because a substantial portion of Merck’s Pharmaceutical segment revenue is comprised of physician-administered products, which were unfavorably affected by social distancing measures and fewer well visits.

In April 2021, Merck announced it was discontinuing the development of MK-7110 for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, which was obtained as part of Merck’s acquisition of OncoImmune (see Note 3 to the condensed consolidated financial statements). This decision resulted in charges of $170 million to Cost of sales in the first quarter of 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused some disruption and volatility in the Company’s global supply chain network, and the Company may in the future experience disruptions in availability and delays in shipments of raw materials and packaging, as well as related cost inflation.

In March 2021, Merck announced it had entered into multiple agreements to support efforts to expand manufacturing capacity and supply of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 medicines and vaccines. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provided Merck with $102 million of funding in the first quarter of 2022 to adapt and make available a number of existing manufacturing facilities for the production of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines and medicines. The funding will be recognized as a reduction to Cost of sales over the production period, offsetting the depreciation expense related to the amounts that were capitalized in connection with the modification of the manufacturing facilities. Merck has also entered into agreements to support the manufacturing and supply of Johnson & Johnson’s SARS-

- 30 -

CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccine. Merck is using certain of its facilities in the U.S. to produce drug substance, formulate and fill vials of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.

Pricing

Global efforts toward health care cost containment continue to exert pressure on product pricing and market access worldwide. Changes to the U.S. health care system enacted in prior years as part of health care reform, as well as increased purchasing power of entities that negotiate on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and private sector beneficiaries, have contributed to pricing pressure. In several international markets, government-mandated pricing actions have reduced prices of generic and patented drugs. In addition, the Company’s sales performance in the first quarter of 2022 was negatively affected by other cost-reduction measures taken by governments and other third parties to lower health care costs. In the U.S., the Biden Administration and Congress continue to discuss legislation designed to control health care costs, including the cost of drugs. The Company anticipates all of these actions and additional actions in the future will continue to negatively affect sales performance.

Operating Results

Sales

U.S. plus international may not equal total due to rounding.

W

Showing the first 8K of 72K characters. Open the full section

There have been no material changes in market risk exposures that affect the disclosures presented in “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” in the Company’s 2021 Form 10-K filed on February 25, 2022.

The economy of Turkey was recently determined to be hyperinflationary. Consequently, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company’s monetary assets and liabilities that are subject to remeasurement as a result of the changes in the Turkish lira will change beginning in the second quarter of 2022. This change will have an immaterial impact to Merck’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Management of the Company, with the participation of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures over financial reporting. Based on their evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that as of March 31, 2022, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective. For the first quarter of 2022, there were no changes in internal control over financial reporting that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

- 42 -

CAUTIONARY FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS

This report and other written reports and oral statements made from time to time by the Company may contain so-called “forward-looking statements,” all of which are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. One can identify these forward-looking statements by their use of words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “will,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “projects” and other words of similar meaning, or negative variations of any of the foregoing. One can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are likely to address the Company’s growth strategy, financial results, product approvals, product potential, development programs, environmental or other sustainability initiatives, and include statements related to the expected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. One must carefully consider any such statement and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s forward-looking statements. These factors include inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of other risks and uncertainties, including some that are known and some that are not. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially.

The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. One should carefully evaluate such statements in light of factors, including risk factors, described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, especially on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. In Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed on February 25, 2022, and in this Form 10-Q, the Company discusses in more detail various important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historic results. The Company notes these factors for investors as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. One should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, the reader should not consider any such list to be a complete statement of all potential risks or uncertainties.

PART II - Other Information

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

The information called for by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to Note 8 included in Part I, Item 1, Financial Statements (unaudited) — Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

For a discussion of risks that affect the Company’s business, please refer to Part I, Item IA, “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. There have been no material changes to the risk factors as previously disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as follows:

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and related global disruptions could adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and the financial and economic sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union and other countries in response, are having pervasive direct and indirect effects on the global economy, and may adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. The Company is working cross-functionally across the globe to monitor and mitigate interruptions to business continuity resulting from the war, including its impact on Merck’s supply chain, operations and clinical trials.

For humanitarian reasons, the Company is continuing to supply essential medicines and vaccines in Russia while working to maintain compliance with evolving international sanctions. Merck plans to donate profits resulting from its operations in Russia to humanitarian causes. The Company does not have research or manufacturing facilities in Russia, currently does not plan to make further investments in Russia, and has suspended screening and enrollment in ongoing clinical trials as well as planning for new studies in Russia, although the Company continues to treat patients already enrolled in existing clinical trials and collect data from these studies. The Company is also using its resources to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, including through donations of funds and products.

The financial impacts of the war between Russia and Ukraine were immaterial to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the first quarter of 2022. However, the degree to which the war and related disruptions will impact the Company’s results for the remainder of 2022 or beyond is difficult to predict and will depend on developments outside of the Company’s control, including, but not limited to, the duration and severity of the conflict, ongoing and additional financial and economic sanctions imposed by governments in response, restrictions on travel, regional instability, geopolitical shifts, and adverse effects on fuel and energy costs, supply chains, macroeconomic conditions, currency exchange rates and financial markets. Such developments may negatively impact the Company directly or indirectly as well as the parties with which the Company conducts business. In addition, the effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine could heighten other risks

- 43 -

disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Issuer purchases of equity securities for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were as follows:

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

(1) The Company did not purchase any shares during the three months ended March 31, 2022 under the plan approved by the Board of Directors in October 2018 to purchase up to $10 billion of Merck’s common stock for its treasury.

- 44 -

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

- 45 -