Summary Box: Merck Q1 profit jumps on lower costs

ByVlad Deshkovich:Merck Inc. (MRK) released its Q1 2013 earnings report yesterday. The corporation experienced an 8.3% drop in first quarter profit from the year prior, with total revenue falling 9%. A variety of factors have made things difficult for the drug conglomerate. It is important to outline what created a weak quarter for the company and to see whether these conditions are fleeting or permanent.

Drugmaker Merck & Co. said Friday that its first-quarter profit jumped 67 percent despite lower-than-expected sales, due to lower spending on production, marketing and research as well as an arbitration charge a year ago.

AP - PROFIT SPIKE: Merck & Co.'s first-quarter profit more than tripled on lower costs from integrating Schering-Plough and double-digit sales growth for key drugs, which offset competition from generic versions of two big heart drugs.

AP - PROFIT JUMP: Drugmaker Merck's third-quarter profit of $1.69 billion was five times that of last year's quarter, which was depressed by $2.3 billion in after-tax charges.

[AP] - Drugmaker Merck & Co. says second-quarter profit nearly tripled from a year ago, when about $2 billion in charges hurt results. Merck says it will cut more than 11,000 jobs.

AP - Drugmaker Merck & Co. says second-quarter profit nearly tripled from a year ago, when about $2 billion in charges hurt results. Merck says it will cut more than 11,000 jobs.

AP - WEIGHED DOWN: Nearly $2 billion in restructuring costs after buying Schering-Plough, plus other charges, drive Merck's second-quarter profit down 52 percent to $752 million.