Merck Plans to Cut Up to 11,830 Jobs

By Linda A. Johnson

Drugmaker Merck & Co.'s second-quarter profit nearly tripled from a year ago, when about $2 billion in charges hurt results. Merck also said Friday that it will cut up to 11,830 jobs.

The maker of asthma and allergy drug Singulair and Type 2 diabetes pill Januvia said Friday that it's starting another restructuring program, which will eliminate 12 percent to 13 percent of jobs by 2015. That would amount to 10,920 to 11,830 of Merck's current 91,000 positions.