7. Merck - Top 15 R&D Budgets

Who: Merck

2006 Pipeline Budget: $5.3 billion (€3.62)

2007 Pipeline News: One of Merck's biggest pipeline hopes is anacetrapib, a drug designed to increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol. Sound familiar? That's because anacetrapib is a CTEP inhibitor [1]--the same class of drug as Pfizer's failed torcetrapib [2]. The drug, which is currently in Phase II, could tap into a $15 billion market.

In 2007 Merck received FDA approval of HIV drug Isentress [3], filed an NDA for Cordaptive [4] (a cholesterol drug that combines a known ingredient with a new one that reduces the risk of flushing). The company also inked a billion-dollar pact [5] for Ariad's cancer drug AP23573, which is in late-stage testing for metastatic sarcomas. And Sanofi-Aventis better get its act together with Acomplia, because Merck's obesity drug taranabant is in Phase III and could be up for FDA approval in 2008.

Pending Approval:
MK-0518 (raltegravir) - HIV
MK-0517 - chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (approvable)

Phase III
MK-0524A [6] - Atherosclerosis
MK-0524B - Atherosclerosis
MK-0364 (taranabant) - Obesity
MK-0974 [7] - Migraine
MK-8669 [5] - Cancer

Full Pipeline Site: Link [8]