10-Q 1 tenqbodyhtml.htm FORM 10-Q

FORM 10-Q
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2003

 

 

 

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-6571

 

 

SCHERING-PLOUGH CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

New Jersey

22-1918501

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

2000 Galloping Hill Road

(908) 298-4000

Kenilworth, NJ

(Registrant's telephone number,

(Address of principal executive offices)

including area code)

07033

 

(Zip Code)

 

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,
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YES    X   

NO          

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES X NO ___

 

 

 

Common Shares Outstanding as of April 30, 2003: 1,468,894,810

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements



SCHERING-PLOUGH CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED INCOME

(UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in millions, except per share figures)

 

Three months

Ended

March 31,

 
 
 

2003

 

 2002 

       

Net sales

$2,074

 

$2,556 

Costs and Expenses:

     

 Cost of sales

658

 

579 

 Selling, general and administrative

843

 

919 

 Research and development

344

 

305 

 Other (income) expense, net

  13

 

(26)

 

1,858

 

1,777 

Income before income taxes

  216

 

779 

Income taxes

   43

 

179 

Net income

$  173

 

$  600 

       

Diluted earnings per common share

$   .12

 

$  .41 

       

Basic earnings per common share

$   .12

 

$   .41 

       

Dividends per common share

$   .17

 

$   .16 

       

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHERING-PLOUGH CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in millions, except per share figures)

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

 

2003

 

2002

Assets

     

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 3,340 

$3,521 

  Short-term investments

538 

 

481 

  Accounts receivable, net

1,454 

 

1,808 

  Inventories

1,359 

 

1,300 

  Deferred income taxes

577 

 

625 

  Prepaid expenses

     

   and other current assets

539 

 

537 

       Total current assets

7,807 

 

8,272 

  Property, plant and equipment

6,304 

 

6,208 

  Less accumulated depreciation

2,035 

 

1,972 

        Property, net

4,269 

 

4,236 

  Goodwill

230 

 

232 

  Other intangible assets, net

422 

 

429 

  Other assets

977 

 

967 

Total assets

$13,705 

 

$14,136 

       

Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

     

  Accounts payable

$1,021 

 

$1,063 

  Short-term borrowings and current

     

    portion of long-term debt

1,223 

 

1,423 

  Other accrued liabilities

2,164 

 

2,243 

        Total current liabilities

4,408 

 

4,729 

  Long-term liabilities

1,208 

 

1,265 

  Shareholders' Equity:

     

    Preferred shares - $1 par value;

     

      issued - none

 

    Common shares - $.50 par value;

1,015 

 

1,015 

      issued:  2,030

     

    Paid-in capital

1,209 

 

1,203 

    Retained earnings

11,764 

 

11,840 

    Accumulated other comprehensive income

(461)

(477)

           Total

13,527 

 

13,581 

    Less treasury shares: 2003 - 561 shares;

      2002 - 562 shares, at cost

5,438 

5,439 

        Total shareholders' equity

8,089 

 

8,142 

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$13,705 

 

$14,136 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

SCHERING-PLOUGH CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31,

(UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in millions)

 

     2003 

 

     2002 

       

Operating Activities:

     

  Net income

$ 173 

 

$ 600 

  Depreciation and amortization

95 

 

88 

  Accounts receivable

357 

 

(345)

  Inventories

(35)

 

(81)

  Prepaid expenses and other assets

         -

 

(73)

  Accounts payable and other liabilities

(149)

 

320 

  Net cash provided by operating activities

441 

 

509 

  

     

Investing Activities:

     

  Capital expenditures

(119)

 

(148)

Reduction of investments

         35

 

         -

  Purchases of investments

(95)

 

(203)

  Other, net

 

    - 

  Net cash used for investing activities

(178)

 

(351)

  

     

Financing Activities:

     

  Cash dividends paid to common shareholders

(251)

 

(235)

  Net change in short-term borrowings

(197)

 

160 

  Other, net

 

  Net cash used for financing activities

(443)

 

(70)

  

     

Effect of exchange rates on cash and

     

  cash equivalents

(1) 

 

 (4)

Net (decrease) increase in cash and

     

  cash equivalents

(181)

 

        84

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning

     

  of period

3,521 

 

       2,716 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$3,340 

 

$2,800 

       

     

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

SCHERING-PLOUGH CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

 

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited financial statements included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for reporting on Form 10-Q. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The statements should be read in conjunction with the accounting policies and notes to consolidated financial statements included in the Company's 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the operations for the interim periods presented.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FASB Interpretation No. 46 (FIN 46), "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities." The Company currently has no arrangements that would be subject to this interpretation.

Inventories

Inventories consisted of ($ in millions):

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

 

2003

 

2002

 

   

   Finished products

$ 547

 

$   540

   Goods in process

460

 

449

   Raw materials and supplies

352

 

311

     Total inventories

$ 1,359

 

$1,300

       

 

 

Other Intangible Assets

The components of the balance sheet caption "other intangible assets, net" are as follows ($ in millions):

March 31, 2003

December 31, 2002

Gross Carrying Amount

Accumulated Amortization

 

Net

Gross Carrying Amount

Accumulated Amortization

 

Net

Patents and

               

Licenses

$662

 

$305

 

$357

$658

$293

$365

Trademarks and

               

Other

100

 

35

 

65

98

34

64

Total other

               

Intangible

Assets

$762

 

$340

 

$422

$756

$327

$429

These intangible assets are amortized on the straight-line method over their respective useful lives. In the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, the Company paid $4 million and $5 million, respectively, for patent and licensing rights; these costs will be amortized over approximately 8 years and 10 years, respectively. The residual value of intangible assets is estimated to be zero. Amortization expense related to other intangible assets for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002 was $13 million and $17 million, respectively. Other intangible assets are reviewed to determine their recoverability by comparing their carrying values to their expected undiscounted future cash flows when events or circumstances warrant such a review. Full year amortization expense in each of the next five years is estimated to be approximately $55 million per year based on the intangible assets recorded as of March 31, 2003.

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation

The following table reconciles net income and earnings per common share (EPS), as reported, to pro forma net income and EPS, as if the Company had expensed the grant date fair value of both stock options and deferred stock units as permitted by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation." These pro forma amounts may not be representative of the initial impact of adopting SFAS No. 123 since, as amended, it permits alternative methods of adoption.

Three months ended ($ in millions, except per share figures):

 

March 31,

 

March 31,

 
 

2003

 

2002

 

Net income, as reported

$  173 

 

$  600 

 

Add back: Expense included in reported net income

for deferred stock units, net of tax

10 

 

11 

 

Deduct: Pro forma expense as if both stock options

and deferred stock units were charged against net

income, net of tax

 

(29)

 

 

(32)

 

Pro forma net income using the fair value method

$  154 

 

$  579 

 

Diluted EPS:

       

Diluted EPS, as reported

$   .12 

 

$   .41 

 

Pro forma diluted EPS using the fair value method

.10 

 

.39 

 

Basic EPS:

       

Basic EPS, as reported

$   .12 

 

$   .41 

 

Pro forma basic EPS using the fair value method

.10 

 

.39 

 
         

Other (income) expense, net

For the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, the components of other (income) expense, net are as follows ($ in millions):

   

2003

 

2002

         

Interest cost incurred

 

$ 16

 

$ 9 

Less: amount capitalized on construction

 

 (3)

 

 (4)

Interest expense

 

13 

 

Interest income

 

(13)

 

(17)

Foreign exchange (gains) losses

 

 

(2)

Other, net

 

 12 

 

(12)

Total

 $ 13 

$(26)

 

Consent Decree

On May 17, 2002, the Company announced that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a consent decree to resolve issues involving the Company's compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices at certain manufacturing facilities in New Jersey and Puerto Rico. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey approved and entered the consent decree on May 20, 2002.

Under terms of the consent decree, the Company will pay a total of $500 million to the U.S. government in two equal installments of $250 million; the first installment was paid in May 2002, and the second installment will be paid in the second quarter of 2003. As previously reported, the Company accrued a $500 million provision for this consent decree in the fourth quarter of 2001.

In the event certain actions agreed upon in the consent decree are not satisfactorily completed on time, the FDA may assess payments for each deadline missed. The consent decree required the Company to develop and submit for FDA's concurrence comprehensive CGMP Work Plans for the Company's manufacturing facilities in New Jersey and Puerto Rico that are covered by the decree. The Company is awaiting FDA concurrence with its proposed CGMP Work Plans, submitted in 2002 in accordance with the schedule established by the consent decree. The CGMP Work Plans contain a number of Significant Steps whose timely and satisfactory completion are subject to payments of $15,000 per business day for each deadline missed. These payments may not exceed $25 million for 2002, and $50 million for each of the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. These payments are subject to an overall cap of $175 million.

In connection with its discussions with FDA regarding the Company's CGMP Work Plans, and pursuant to the terms of the decree, the Company and FDA entered into a letter agreement dated April 14, 2003, which is filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this 10-Q. In the letter agreement the Company and FDA agreed to extend by six months the time period during which the Company may incur payments as described above with respect to certain of the Significant Steps whose proposed due dates are December 31, 2005. The letter agreement does not increase the yearly or overall caps on payments described above.

In addition, the decree requires the Company to complete programs of revalidation of the finished drug products and bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients manufactured at the covered manufacturing facilities. The Significant Steps and the completion of the revalidation programs are subject to third-party expert certification, which must be accepted by the FDA. The Company is required under the consent decree to complete its revalidation programs for bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients by September 30, 2005 and for finished drugs by December 31, 2005. In general, the timely and satisfactory completion of the revalidations are subject to payments of $15,000 per business day for each deadline missed, subject to the caps described above. However, if a product scheduled for revalidation has not been certified as having been validated by the last date on the validation schedule, the FDA may assess a payment of 24.6 percent of the net domestic sales of the uncertified product until the validation is certified. The Company would expense any payments assessed under the decree if and when incurred. Further, in general, if a product scheduled for revalidation under the consent decree is not certified within six months of its scheduled date, the Company must cease production of that product until certification is obtained. The consent decree provides that if the Company believes that it may not be able to meet a deadline, the Company has the right, upon the showing of good cause, to request extensions of deadlines in connection with the CGMP Work Plans and revalidation programs. However, there is no guarantee that FDA will grant any such requests.

Also, as disclosed under "New Litigation" in Part II, Other Information, Item 1 Legal Proceedings, the Company has received notice of a False Claims complaint brought by an individual purporting to act on behalf of the United States government against it and approximately 25 other pharmaceutical companies alleging that the pharmaceutical companies defrauded the United States by having made sales to various federal governmental agencies of drugs which were allegedly manufactured in a manner that did not comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices.

Merck Collaboration

The collaboration agreements between the Company and Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck) involve the joint development and marketing of ZETIA (ezetimibe) as a once-daily monotherapy, co-administration of ZETIA with statins and ezetimibe as a once-daily fixed-combination tablet with simvastatin (Zocor), Merck's cholesterol-modifying medicine. The agreements also involve the development and marketing of a once-daily, fixed-combination tablet containing CLARITIN and Singulair. Singulair is Merck's once-daily leukotriene receptor antagonist for the treatment of asthma. In January 2002, Schering-Plough/Merck Pharmaceuticals reported on results of Phase III clinical trials of a fixed-combination tablet containing CLARITIN and Singulair, which did not demonstrate sufficient added benefits in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. The agreements generally provide for equal sharing of development costs and for co-promotion of approved products by each company in the United States and in most other countries of the world, except Japan. In Japan, no agreement exists. In general, co-promotion provides that each company will provide equal physician detailing efforts and bear the cost of its own sales force in marketing the products. The companies will share certain other costs (e.g., a portion of the costs for manufacturing, promotion, administration, etc.) and also share profits. The Company's share of research and development costs incurred related to the agreement were $22 million and $15 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively. The agreements do not provide for any jointly owned facilities and, as such, products resulting from the collaboration will be manufactured in facilities owned by either Merck or the Company. In addition, under certain conditions, Merck could make milestone payments to the Company totaling $152 million. The agreements do not have a specific expiration date.

The Company is reporting its share of profits as "alliance revenue," which is included in net sales. The Company's sales force costs are reported as selling, general and administrative expenses, and the Company's share of development expenses is reported as research and development expenses. In the 2003 first quarter, alliance revenue was insignificant due to launch-related marketing expenses associated with ZETIA.

 

 

Borrowings

The Company has two committed, unsecured revolving credit facilities from a syndicate of financial institutions. Under one facility, up to $500 million can be drawn down through May 21, 2003, with repayment due by May 2004. Under a second multi-currency facility, an additional $500 million can be drawn down through the maturity date of May 2006. These facilities are available for general corporate purposes and are considered as support for the Company's commercial paper borrowings. These facilities do not require compensating balances; however, a nominal commitment fee is paid. As of March 31, 2003, no funds had been drawn down under these facilities.

In February 2003, the Company filed a shelf registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that enables the Company to issue up to $2 billion of debt securities for general corporate purposes, including the refinancing of short-term borrowings. The terms of these securities will be determined at the time of sale. The registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. Such securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. In addition, the Company has a shelf registration statement on file with the SEC covering the issuance of up to $200 million of debt securities that it plans to withdraw in connection with filing the 2003 shelf registration. As of March 31, 2003, no debt securities were outstanding pursuant to these registrations.

Standard & Poor's (S&P's) rating of the Company's corporate credit and preliminary senior unsecured debt shelf rating is "AA-", its short-term rating is "A-1+" and S&P is maintaining its negative outlook. Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) rating of the Company's senior unsecured debt under its prospective shelf registration is "A1" and its rating outlook is stable. Moody's short-term rating for the Company is "Prime-1".

Comprehensive Income

Total comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002 was $189 million and $522 million, respectively.

Concentrations

CLARITIN (loratadine) prescription sales in the United States, in all formulations, accounted for 14 percent of the Company's consolidated worldwide sales in the year ended December 31, 2002, and a larger percentage of the Company's consolidated earnings. As noted in the "Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters" footnote below, the Company has sued drug manufacturers that are marketing or seeking to market certain forms of generic loratadine prior to the expiration of the Company's compound patent for desloratadine. In each case, the Company has filed suit in federal court seeking a ruling that the applicable Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) or "paper" New Drug Application submission and proposed marketing of a generic prescription or OTC product constitute infringement of the Company's patents and that the challenge to the patents is without merit. The compound patent for loratadine expired on June 19, 2002, and its market exclusivity for CLARITIN expired on December 19, 2002. A patent covering the compound desloratadine, formulations thereof, and methods of treatment with desloratadine as it relates to CLARITIN is set to expire on April 21, 2004. Six months' U.S. market exclusivity would attach to the end of the desloratadine patent as it relates to CLARITIN and would expire October 21, 2004. This six-month period of exclusivity was granted because the Company conducted pediatric clinical trials at the request of the FDA. On August 8, 2002, a federal district court in New Jersey ruled on motions for summary judgment, finding that certain of the desloratadine compound patent claims, which the Company believes protect CLARITIN, were anticipated by a prior patent and thus invalid. On September 18, 2002, the district court denied a request for reconsideration. The Company has appealed the rulings. The Company anticipates that the appeal will be decided in the second half of 2003 or early 2004. With these rulings, actions against the defendants for infringement of the desloratadine compound patent will not proceed unless the Company's appeal is successful. The Company has also asserted that ANDAs filed by two manufacturers for

generic versions of CLARITIN-D 24 Hour infringe the Company's patent covering the CLARITIN-D 24 Hour compound. This issue has not yet been resolved by the district court. As with any litigation, there can be no assurances that the Company will prevail. On November 27, 2002, the FDA approved the Company's applications to switch all five formulations of CLARITIN at their original prescription strengths to OTC medicines for the treatment of allergies. The Company launched OTC CLARITIN in the United States in December 2002.

 

Earnings Per Common Share

The shares used to calculate basic and diluted earnings per common share are reconciled as follows (number of shares in millions):

 

 

 

Three Months

Ended

March 31,

 
 

  2003

  2002

 

Average shares outstanding

     

   for basic earnings per share

1,468

1,466

 

Dilutive effect of options

     

   and deferred stock units

2

5

 

Average shares outstanding

    

     

 

   for diluted earnings per share

1,470

1,471

 

As of March 31, 2003, the equivalent of 49 million common shares issuable under the Company's stock incentive plans were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because their effect would have been antidilutive.

Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters

Background

The Company has responsibilities for environmental cleanup under various state, local and federal laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund. At several Superfund sites (or equivalent sites under state law), the Company is alleged to be a potentially responsible party (PRP). The Company estimates its obligations for cleanup costs for Superfund sites based on information obtained from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, an equivalent state agency and/or studies prepared by independent engineers, and on the probable costs to be paid by other PRPs. The Company records a liability for environmental assessments and/or cleanup when it is probable a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated.

The Company is also involved in various other claims and legal proceedings of a nature considered normal to its business, including product liability cases. The Company adjusts its accrued liabilities to reflect the current best estimate of its probable loss exposure. Where no best estimate is determinable, the Company accrues the minimum amount within the most probable range of its liability.

The recorded liabilities for the above matters at December 31, 2002, and the related expenses incurred during the year ended December 31, 2002, were not material. Expected insurance recoveries have not been considered in determining the costs for environmental-related liabilities. Management believes that, except for the matters discussed in the remainder of this section, it is remote that any material liability in excess of the amounts accrued will be incurred. With respect to the matters discussed in the remainder of this section, except where noted, it is not practicable to estimate a range of reasonably possible loss; where it is, a reserve has been included in the financial statements. Resolution of any or all of the matters discussed in the remainder of this section, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations or financial condition. Management reviews the status of these matters on an ongoing basis and from time to time may settle or otherwise resolve them on such terms and conditions as management believes are in the best interests of the Company. The Company is aware that settlements of matters of the types set forth in the remainder of this section, and in particular under "Investigations," frequently involve fines and/or penalties that are material to the financial condition and the results of operations of the entity entering into the settlement. There are no assurances that the Company will prevail in any of these matters, that settlements can be reached on acceptable terms or in amounts that do not exceed the amounts reserved, and outcomes cannot be predicted.

Environmental

Residents in the vicinity of a publicly owned waste-water treatment plant in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, have filed two lawsuits against the plant owner and operator, and numerous companies that discharge into the plant, including a subsidiary of the Company, for damages and injunctive relief relating to odors allegedly coming from the plant and connecting sewers. One of these lawsuits is a class action claiming damages of $600 million. Discovery is ongoing in both lawsuits.

Patent Matters

In February 1998, Geneva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Geneva) submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to the U.S. FDA seeking to market generic CLARITIN tablets before the expiration in 2004 of the Company's desloratadine compound patent, which the Company believes protects CLARITIN. Geneva alleged that the desloratadine compound patent is invalid. This patent is material to the Company's business. In March 1998, the Company filed suit in federal court seeking a ruling that Geneva's ANDA submission constitutes infringement of the Company's desloratadine compound patent and that its challenge to this patent is without merit. In addition to Geneva, from 1998 through 2003, the following companies made similar ANDA submissions for generic CLARITIN tablets: Zenith Goldline Pharmaceuticals, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Teva), Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ranbaxy), Genpharm Incorporated, and L. Perrigo Company (Perrigo). The following companies made similar ANDA submissions for generic CLARITIN syrup: Teva, Copley Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novex Pharma, Alpharma USPD Inc., Taro Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Perrigo. Andrx Pharmaceuticals, L.L.C. (Andrx) and Impax Laboratories Inc. (Impax) made similar ANDA submissions for generic CLARITIN-D 12 Hour and CLARITIN-D 24 Hour formulations. Ranbaxy made a similar ANDA submission for a generic CLARITIN-D 24 Hour formulation. ESI Lederle, Inc. (Lederle), a subsidiary of Wyeth, made a similar ANDA submission for a generic CLARITIN REDITAB formulation. The following companies submitted "paper" New Drug Applications ("paper" NDAs) under Section 505 (b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act seeking to market a generic OTC form of CLARITIN prior to the expiration of the Company's desloratadine compound patent: Whitehall-Robins Healthcare, a division of Wyeth (for an OTC REDITAB formulation), McNeil Consumer Healthcare (McNeil) (for OTC tablets), and Perrigo (for OTC tablets). In each case, the Company filed suit in federal court seeking a ruling that the applicable ANDA or "paper" NDA submission and proposed marketing of a generic prescription or OTC product constitutes infringement of the Company's desloratadine compound patent, and that the challenge to the patent is without merit. On August 8, 2002, a federal district court in New Jersey ruled on motions for summary judgment, finding that certain claims of the desloratadine compound patent were anticipated by a prior patent and, thus, were not valid. On September 18, 2002, the district court denied a request for reconsideration. The Company argued the appeal on April 8, 2003. The Company anticipates that the appeal will be decided in the second half of 2003 or early 2004. With these rulings, actions against the defendants for infringement of the desloratadine compound patent will not proceed unless the Company's appeal is successful. The Company has also asserted that Impax's and Andrx's ANDAs for their generic CLARITIN-D 24 Hour formulations infringe the Company's patent covering its CLARITIN-D 24 Hour formulation. This issue has not yet been resolved by the district court.

In August 2001, Geneva Pharmaceuticals Technology Corp. (Geneva Pharmaceuticals) and Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals, L.L.C. (Three Rivers), and in January 2002, Teva, submitted separate ANDAs with the FDA seeking to market generic forms of 200 mg REBETOL (ribavirin) Capsules in the United States before the expiration of the Company's patents covering ribavirin formulations. Geneva Pharmaceuticals, Three Rivers and Teva have asserted that they do not infringe the Company's REBETOL patents and/or the patents are invalid. The REBETOL patents are material to the Company's business. In September 2001, October 2001 and March 2002, the Company filed suits in federal court seeking rulings that the ANDA submissions by Geneva Pharmaceuticals, Three Rivers and Teva, respectively, constitute infringement of the Company's patents and that the challenges to the Company's patents are without merit. In February 2003, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with Three Rivers that will settle all patent litigation between the Company and Three Rivers. In March 2003, the Company entered into separate licensing agreements with Geneva Pharmaceuticals and Teva that will settle all patent litigation between the Company and Teva and Geneva Pharmaceuticals. Under the terms of the agreements, the Company will grant Three Rivers, Geneva Pharmaceuticals and Teva each a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable license to the Company's U.S. ribavirin patents. The agreements do not affect Three Rivers', Geneva Pharmaceutical's or Teva's reported patent litigation with Ribapharm, Inc. The agreements are subject to the dismissal of the relevant lawsuits in court.

In January 2000, a jury found that the Company's PRIME PAC PRRS (Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome) vaccine infringed a patent owned by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. An injunction was issued in August 2000 barring further sales of the Company's vaccine. The Company's post-trial motions for either a reversal of the jury's verdict or a new trial were denied in September 2001. The Company appealed, and the verdict was affirmed by the appellate court in February 2003. Litigation of the damages phase of the case is ongoing.

Investigations

In October 1999, the Company received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, concerning the Company's contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and managed care organizations to provide disease management services in connection with the marketing of its pharmaceutical products. It appears that the subpoena was one of a number addressed to industry participants as part of an inquiry into, among other things, pharmaceutical marketing practices. The government's inquiry has focused on, among other things, whether the Company's disease management and other marketing programs and arrangements comply with federal health care laws and whether the value of its disease management programs and other marketing programs and arrangements should have been included in the calculation of rebates to the government. The Company has been cooperating with the investigation. In March 2002, the U.S. Attorney's Office began issuing grand jury subpoenas. The grand jury investigation appears to be focused on one or more transactions with managed care organizations where the government believes the Company offered or provided deeply discounted pharmaceutical products (known as "nominally priced" products, which are generally excluded from Medicaid rebate calculations), free or discounted disease management services, and other marketing programs and arrangements that delivered value, in order to place or retain one or more of the Company's major pharmaceutical products on the managed care organization's formulary. The grand jury appears to be investigating, among other things, (i) whether the transactions described above and conduct relating thereto violated federal anti-kickback statutes; and (ii) whether the value of the items and services described above should have been included in the Company's calculation of Medicaid rebates. The outcome of the investigations could include the commencement of civil and/or criminal proceedings involving substantial fines, penalties and injunctive or administrative remedies, including exclusion from government reimbursement programs, and the Company cannot predict whether the investigations will affect its marketing practices or sales. In February 2003, the Company increased its litigation reserves related to this investigation and the investigations described below by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts by $150 million. The increased litigation reserves reflect an adjustment to the Company's estimate of its minimum liability relating to those investigations, in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Under GAAP, companies are required to estimate and recognize a minimum liability when a loss is probable but no better estimate of the loss can be made. Also, under GAAP, the Company was required to recognize this liability in 2002. The Company notes that its total reserves reflect an estimate and that any final settlement or adjudication of any of these matters could possibly be less than or could materially exceed the aggregate liability accrued by the Company and could have a materially adverse effect on the operations or financial condition of the Company.

The Company is responding to investigations by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice and certain states into certain industry and Company practices regarding average wholesale price (AWP). These investigations include a Department of Justice review of the merits of a federal action filed by a private entity on behalf of the United States in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, as well as an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, regarding, inter alia, whether the AWP set by pharmaceutical companies for certain drugs improperly exceeds the average prices paid by dispensers and, as a consequence, results in unlawful inflation of certain government drug reimbursements that are based on AWP. In March 2001, the Company received a subpoena from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office seeking documents concerning the use of AWP and other pricing and/or marketing practices. The Company is cooperating with these investigations. The outcome of these investigations could include the imposition of substantial fines, penalties and injunctive or administrative remedies.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts is also investigating whether the Company's sales of a product that was repackaged for sale by a managed care organization should have been included in the Company's Medicaid best price calculations. In early November 2002, the Company was served with two additional grand jury subpoenas by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Among other information, the subpoenas seek a broad range of information concerning the Company's sales, marketing and clinical trial practices and programs with respect to INTRON A, REBETRON and TEMODAR; the Company's sales and marketing contacts with managed care organizations and doctors; and the Company's offering or provision of grants, honorariums or other items or services of value to managed care organizations, physician groups, doctors and educational institutions. The Company understands that this investigation is focused on whether certain sales, marketing and clinical trial practices and conduct related thereto, which in certain instances relate to the use of one or more of the above-mentioned products for indications for which FDA approval had not been obtained - so-called "off-label" uses - were in violation of federal laws and regulations with respect to off-label promotional activities. The investigation also appears to focus on whether drug samples, clinical trial grants and other items or services of value were given to providers to incentivize them to prescribe one or more of the above-mentioned products, including for "off-label" uses, in violation of the federal health care anti-kickback laws. The Company has implemented certain changes to its sales, marketing and clinical trial practices and is continuing to review those practices to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The Company is cooperating with these investigations. Future sales of INTRON A, REBETRON and TEMODAR may be adversely affected, but the Company cannot at this time predict the ultimate impact, if any, on such sales. The outcome of these investigations could include the commencement of civil and/or criminal proceedings involving the imposition of substantial fines, penalties and injunctive or administrative remedies, including exclusion from government reimbursement programs. In February 2003, the Company increased its litigation reserves related to the investigations by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts described in this paragraph and the paragraph immediately preceding it and the investigation described above by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, by $150 million. The increased litigation reserves reflect an adjustment to the Company's estimate of its minimum liability relating to those investigations, in compliance with GAAP. Under GAAP, companies are required to estimate and recognize a minimum liability when a loss is probable but no better estimate of the loss can be made. Also, under GAAP, the Company was required to recognize this liability in 2002. The Company notes that its total reserves reflect an estimate and that any final settlement or adjudication of any of these matters could possibly be less than or could materially exceed the aggregate liability accrued by the Company and could have a materially adverse effect on the operations or financial condition of the Company.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey along with the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigation is conducting an investigation which may focus on one or more Company products, including ribavirin, manufactured in Puerto Rico. The Company is cooperating with the government in the investigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division is investigating whether the Company's Consumer Products Division entered into an agreement with another company to lower the commission rate of a consumer products broker. In February 2003, the Antitrust Division served a grand jury subpoena on the Company seeking documents for the first time. The Company is cooperating with the investigation.

Securities and Class Action Litigation

On February 15, 2001, the Company stated in a press release that the FDA had been conducting inspections of the Company's manufacturing facilities in New Jersey and Puerto Rico and had issued reports citing deficiencies concerning compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, primarily relating to production processes, controls and procedures. The next day, February 16, 2001, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against the Company and certain named officers alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. Additional lawsuits of the same tenor followed. The plaintiffs in the suits purport to represent classes of shareholders who purchased shares of Company stock between dates as early as March 2, 2000, and February 15, 2001, the date of the press release. In April 2001, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against the Company and certain named officers alleging substantially the same violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as alleged in the putative class actions described above in this paragraph, as well as alleging violations of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 and failure to disclose information which is the subject matter of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) administrative proceeding described below and purporting to represent a class of shareholders who purchased shares of Company stock between July 25, 2000, and March 30, 2001, the last business day before the Company issued a press release relating to the FTC administrative proceeding. This complaint and all of the previously filed complaints were consolidated into one action in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and a lead plaintiff, the Florida State Board of Administration, was appointed by the Court on July 2, 2001. On October 11, 2001, a consolidated amended complaint was filed, alleging the same violations described in the second sentence of this paragraph (but not a Section 11 claim) and purporting to represent a class of shareholders who purchased shares of Company stock from May 9, 2000, through February 15, 2001. The Company's motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint was denied on May 24, 2002. Discovery is ongoing.

In addition to the lawsuits described in the immediately preceding paragraph, two lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and two lawsuits were filed in New Jersey state court against the Company (as a nominal defendant) and certain officers, directors and a former director seeking damages on behalf of the Company, including disgorgement of trading profits made by defendants allegedly obtained on the basis of material non-public information. The complaints in each of those four lawsuits relate to the issues described in the Company's February 15, 2001, press release, and allege a failure to disclose material information and breach of fiduciary duty by the directors. One of the federal court lawsuits also includes allegations related to the investigations by the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Massachusetts, the FTC's administrative proceeding against the Company, and the lawsuit by the state of Texas against Warrick Pharmaceuticals (Warrick), the Company's generics subsidiary, all of which are described herein. Each of these lawsuits is a shareholder derivative action that purports to assert claims on behalf of the Company, but as to which no demand was made on the Board of Directors and no decision has been made on whether the Company can or should pursue such claims. In August 2001, the plaintiffs in each of the New Jersey state court shareholder derivative actions moved to dismiss voluntarily the complaints in those actions, which motions were granted. The two shareholder derivative actions pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey have been consolidated into one action, which is in its very early stages. This consolidated action is being coordinated for most pre-trial purposes with the consolidated action described in the immediately preceding paragraph. On January 2, 2002, the Company received a demand letter dated December 26, 2001, from a law firm not involved in the derivative actions described above, on behalf of a shareholder who also is not involved in the derivative actions, demanding that the Board of Directors bring claims on behalf of the Company based on allegations substantially similar to those alleged in the derivative actions. On January 22, 2002, the Board of Directors adopted a Board resolution establishing an Evaluation Committee, consisting of three directors, to investigate, review and analyze the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations made in the demand letter and the consolidated amended derivative action complaint described above, but reserving to the full Board authority and discretion to exercise its business judgment in respect of the proper disposition of the demand. The Committee engaged independent outside counsel to advise it and issued a report on the findings of its investigation to the independent directors of the Board in late October 2002. That report determined that the shareholder demand should be refused, and finding no liability on the part of any officers or directors. In November 2002, the full Board adopted the recommendation of the Evaluation Committee.

On August 9, 2001, the Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) project, a Boston-based group formed in 2001 to litigate against drug companies, issued a press release stating that PAL members filed a lawsuit in New Jersey state court against the Company. In December 2001, the Company was served with an amended complaint in the case. The suit, which PAL purports to be a class action, alleges, among other things, that the Company's direct-to-consumer advertising falsely depicts the benefits of CLARITIN in violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. In February 2002, the Company filed a motion to dismiss this case. In May 2002, the court dismissed the complaint in its entirety for failure to state a claim. The plaintiffs have appealed.

In December 2001, PAL filed a class action suit in Federal Court in Massachusetts against the Company. In September 2002, a consolidated complaint was filed in this court as a result of the coordination by the Multi-District Litigation Panel of all federal court AWP cases from throughout the country. The consolidated complaint alleges that the Company and Warrick conspired with providers to defraud consumers by reporting fraudulently high AWPs for prescription medications reimbursed by Medicare or third-party payers. The complaint seeks a declaratory judgment and unspecified damages, including treble damages.

The Company is a defendant in a number of purported nationwide or state class action lawsuits in which plaintiffs seek a refund of the purchase price of laxatives or phenylpropanolamine-containing cough/cold remedies they purchased. Other pharmaceutical manufacturers are co-defendants in some of these lawsuits. In general, plaintiffs claim that they would not have purchased or would have paid less for these products had they known of certain defects or medical risks attendant with their use. All of these lawsuits are in the early stages of discovery; plaintiffs' theories for recovery have yet to be legally tested, and the courts have not yet agreed that these cases should go forward as class actions. A number of lawsuits involving these products, as well as recalled albuterol/VANCERIL/VANCENASE inhalers, have also been filed against the Company seeking recovery for personal injuries or death. In several of these lawsuits punitive damages are claimed. The Company settled a California state court class action seeking refund of the purchase price of inhalers through a program of issuing 4.5 million vouchers for free inhalers plus payment of attorneys' fees. The court gave final approval to the settlement in October 2002.

On March 31, 2003, the Company was served with a putative class action complaint filed in the United States District Court in New Jersey alleging that the Company, Richard Jay Kogan (who resigned as Chairman of the Board November 13, 2002 and retired as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of the Company April 20, 2003) and the Company's Employee Savings Plan (Plan) administrator breached their fiduciary obligations to certain participants in the Plan. The allegations primarily relate to disclosures about the Company's Good Manufacturing Practices issues (which are discussed earlier in this "Securities and Class Action Litigation" section in relation to the Company's disclosures about its consent decree with FDA and related matters) and disclosures about the meetings with investors the week of September 30, 2002 and other communications (discussed under "Update on SEC Inquiry and Related Litigation" below).

Royalties/Contract Matters

The Company was a party to arbitration proceedings by Biogen, Inc. relating to, among other things, royalty payments. These arbitrations have been settled.

In October 2001, ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. notified the Company of its intention to begin an alternative resolution dispute proceeding against the Company seeking the payment of royalties on REBETOL provided by the Company without charge or at a reduced charge to indigent patients participating in SCHERING'S COMMITMENT TO CARE program.

Antitrust and FTC Matters

The Company is a defendant in numerous antitrust actions commenced (starting in 1993) in state and federal courts by independent retail pharmacies, chain retail pharmacies and consumers. The plaintiffs allege price discrimination and/or conspiracy between the Company and other defendants to restrain trade by jointly refusing to sell prescription drugs at discounted prices to the plaintiffs. The Company, in February 1996, agreed to settle a federal class action on behalf of approximately two-thirds of all retail pharmacies in the United States for a total of $22 million, which has been paid in full. The U.S. District Court in Illinois approved the settlement of the federal class action in 1996. In 1997, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed all appeals from that settlement, and it is not subject to further review.

In April 1997, certain of the plaintiffs in the federal class action commenced another purported class action in the U.S. District Court in Illinois against the Company and the other defendants who settled the previous federal class action. The complaint alleges that the defendants conspired not to implement the settlement commitments following the settlement discussed above. The District Court has denied the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction hearing.

The Company has either settled or had dismissed on motion all the state court retailer and consumer actions. The settlement amounts were not material to the Company.

The Federal Court in Illinois remanded the conspiracy portion of the cases of those retailers that opted out of the class action back to the district courts where they were filed. The Federal Court in Illinois has jurisdiction over the Robinson-Patman portion of these cases.

Plaintiffs in these antitrust actions generally seek treble damages in an unspecified amount and an injunction against the allegedly unlawful conduct.

On April 2, 2001, the FTC started an administrative proceeding against the Company, Upsher-Smith, Inc. (Upsher-Smith) and Lederle. The complaint alleges anti-competitive effects from the settlement of patent lawsuits between the Company and Lederle, and the Company and Upsher-Smith. The lawsuits that were settled related to generic versions of K-DUR, the Company's long-acting potassium chloride product, which was the subject of ANDAs filed by Lederle and Upsher-Smith. In June 2002, the administrative law judge overseeing the case issued a decision that the patent litigation settlements complied with the law in all respects and dismissed all claims against the Company. An appeal of this decision to the full Commission filed by the FTC staff is currently pending. The outcome of the proceeding could result in the imposition of injunctive or administrative remedies.

Following the commencement of the FTC administrative proceeding, alleged class action suits were filed on behalf of direct and indirect purchasers of K-DUR against the Company, Upsher-Smith and Lederle in federal and state courts. These suits all allege essentially the same facts and claim violations of federal and state antitrust laws, as well as other state statutory and/or common law causes of action.

Pricing Matters

During the third quarter of 2000, Warrick was sued by the state of Texas. In June 2002, the Company and its subsidiary, Schering Corporation, were added as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that Warrick supplied the state with false reports of wholesale prices, which caused the state to pay Medicaid claims on prescriptions of Warrick's albuterol sulfate solution and inhaler at a higher-than-justified level. The state seeks damages of approximately $106 million against Warrick, including treble damages and penalties. The outcome of the litigation could result in the imposition of fines, penalties and injunctive remedies. If this case goes to trial, there are no assurances that the damages sought by the state will not exceed the amount set forth in the state's petition.

The Company and Warrick are defendants in numerous lawsuits brought in state and federal courts, which allege that the Company and Warrick reported inflated AWPs for prescription pharmaceuticals and thereby caused third-party payers to make excess reimbursements to providers. Some of these actions also allege that the Company and Warrick failed to report accurate prices under the Medicaid Rebate Program and thereby underpaid rebates to some states. These actions, which began in October 2001, have been brought by state Attorneys General, private plaintiffs, nonprofit organizations and employee benefit funds. They allege violations of federal and state law, including fraud, antitrust, Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and other claims. The actions seek unspecified damages, including treble and punitive damages.

SEC Inquiry and Related Litigation

We continue to cooperate with the SEC staff in its enforcement proceeding against the Company and Richard Jay Kogan regarding meetings held with investors the week of September 30, 2002 and other communications.

The federal putative class actions filed against the Company and Mr. Kogan regarding the meetings held with investors the week of September 30, 2002 and other communications were consolidated and, pursuant to that consolidation, an amended complaint dated March 13, 2003 was filed, alleging violations of Sections 10(b), 20(a) and 20(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 relating to the alleged disclosures made during the meetings mentioned in the paragraph above. The Company filed a motion to dismiss these class actions May 6, 2003.

Other Matters

In April 2003, the Company received notice of a False Claims Act complaint brought by an individual purporting to act on behalf of the United States government against it and approximately 25 other pharmaceutical companies in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The complaint alleges that the pharmaceutical companies, including the Company, have defrauded the United States by having made sales to various federal governmental agencies of drugs which were allegedly manufactured in a manner that did not comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices.

Tax Matters

In October 2001, IRS auditors have asserted, in reports, that the Company is liable for additional tax for the 1990 through 1992 tax years. The reports allege that two interest rate swaps that the Company entered into with an unrelated party should be recharacterized as loans from affiliated companies, resulting in additional tax on income. The tax sought by the IRS auditors relating to recharacterization is approximately $195 million, plus interest. The Company has not accrued the $195 million because the Company and its tax advisers do not believe it is probable that the IRS will prevail in this matter.

 

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS' REPORT

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of

Schering-Plough Corporation:

We have reviewed the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet of Schering-Plough Corporation and subsidiaries (the "Corporation") as of March 31, 2003, and the related statements of consolidated income and cash flows for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Corporation's management.

We conducted our review in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures to financial data and of making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to such consolidated financial statements for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have previously audited, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, the consolidated balance sheet of Schering-Plough Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2002, and the related statements of consolidated income, shareholders' equity, and cash flows for the year then ended (not presented herein); and in our report dated February 25, 2003, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2002 is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.

 

/s/Deloitte & Touche LLP

Parsippany, New Jersey

May 12, 2003

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Results of Operations - three months ended March 31, 2003 compared with the corresponding period in 2002.

Net Sales

Consolidated net sales for the first quarter totaled $2.1 billion, a decrease of $482 million or 19 percent compared with the same period in 2002. Excluding the effect of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, consolidated net sales decreased 24 percent in the quarter, with volume declines of 28 percent. Net sales in the United States decreased 39 percent versus the first quarter of 2002 and advanced 13 percent internationally. Excluding the effect of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, international sales remained flat.

Net sales by major therapeutic category for the first quarter were as follows ($ in millions):

 

2003

2002

 

%

Anti-infective & Anticancer

$ 781

$ 797

 

(2)

Allergy & Respiratory

453

1,014

 

(55)

Cardiovasculars

111

117

 

(5)

Dermatologicals

118

120

 

(1)

Other Pharmaceuticals

166

159

 

4

Animal Health

143

150

 

(5)

Over-the-Counter (OTC)

155

41

 

N/M

Foot Care

66

76

 

(13)

Sun Care

81

82

 

-

Consolidated net sales

$ 2,074

$ 2,556

(19)

N/M - not a meaningful percentage

Net sales of worldwide anti-infective and anticancer products decreased 2 percent in the first quarter of 2003. Sales of the INTRON franchise, used for the treatment of hepatitis C, decreased 7 percent, to $516 million for the quarter due to trade buying patterns in the United States and increased worldwide competition. This decline was tempered by growth in the U.S. hepatitis C market. In the first quarter a new competitor was launched in the hepatitis C market. The overall market share of the INTRON franchise has been declining, reflecting this new market competition. The INTRON franchise consists of INTRON A, PEG-INTRON and REBETOL.

The decrease in the anti-infective and anticancer therapeutic category was further tempered by international sales of REMICADE, marketed for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Sales of REMICADE were up $54 million or 89 percent to $114 million for the first quarter due to increased patient utilization. Worldwide sales of TEMODAR, a chemotherapy agent for treating certain types of brain tumors, increased 1 percent to $59 million for the quarter due to market share gains and market growth tempered by the timing of trade buying patterns in the United States.

Worldwide net sales of allergy and respiratory products decreased 55 percent in the quarter. This category of sales was negatively impacted by the rapid decline in sales of prescription CLARITIN, resulting from its loss of market exclusivity in the United States along with conversion from prescription to OTC status in December 2002. Worldwide sales of prescription CLARITIN were $109 million in the first quarter of 2003, compared with $659 million in 2002. As previously disclosed, the Company decided to delay revenue recognition for sales of the prescription form of CLARITIN in the United States until the product is used to fill patient prescriptions. U.S. sales of prescription CLARITIN recognized in the first quarter of 2003 were $16 million, versus sales of $565 million in the 2002 period. Patient demand was based on information provided directly to the Company from its customers (U.S. wholesalers, chain and retail pharmacies) about existing levels of trade inventories as of March 31, 2003. The value of the demand was derived using actual wholesale prices and estimates of rebates and allowances. The Company selected this methodology because it provides a reliable, up-to-date estimate of the payments that may be due to its customers if product is returned.

Worldwide sales of CLARINEX for the treatment of seasonal outdoor allergies and year-round indoor allergies were $173 million for the first quarter of 2003, an increase of $88 million versus 2002, due to conversion of CLARITIN users to CLARINEX coupled with the launch of CLARINEX in several international markets. These factors were tempered by contraction of the U.S. prescription antihistamine market resulting primarily from the launch of OTC CLARITIN. In addition, CLARINEX is experiencing intense competition in the U.S. allergy market. The Company is beginning to implement new marketing efforts to address market share performance.

Sales of NASONEX, a once-daily corticosteroid nasal spray for allergies, decreased 43 percent to $79 million for the first quarter due to reductions in trade inventory levels and market share declines in the United States. While NASONEX is experiencing intense competition in the U.S. allergy market, the Company is beginning to implement new marketing efforts to address market share performance. Sales of NASONEX in international markets increased 21 percent.

Worldwide net sales of cardiovascular products decreased 5 percent in the quarter due to continued generic competition for K-DUR, a sustained-release potassium chloride supplement. This decline was tempered by higher sales of INTEGRILIN, a platelet receptor glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes. INTEGRILIN sales increased $21 million or 31 percent due primarily to increased patient utilization in the United States.

Dermatological products' worldwide net sales decreased 1 percent in the first quarter primarily due to continued generic competition.

Worldwide sales of animal health products decreased 5 percent in the first quarter due to current manufacturing supply issues, described in "Additional Factors Influencing Operations" below.

OTC product sales increased $114 million due to the launch of OTC CLARITIN in December 2002. Sales of OTC CLARITIN were $125 million for the first quarter 2003. Sales of other OTC products declined due to manufacturing issues described in "Additional Factors Influencing Operations" below.

Net sales of foot care products decreased 13 percent for the first quarter due to the nonrecurrence of a prior year trade stock-in for the LOTRIMIN ULTRA launch.

First quarter sales of sun care products remained relatively flat versus the first quarter of 2002.

Costs and Expenses

Cost of sales as a percentage of sales increased to 31.7 percent in the quarter from 22.6 percent in 2002. The increase was primarily due to a change in product sales mix arising from the loss of U.S. sales of prescription CLARITIN. The increase was also the result of higher manufacturing costs arising from the Company's increased current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) compliance efforts.

Selling, general and administrative expenses represented 40.6 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2003 compared with 35.9 percent last year. The increase in this ratio was primarily due to lower overall sales reported in the 2003 first quarter and the promotional and sales support efforts necessary to increase market penetration for CLARINEX, the INTRON franchise and ZETIA.

Research and development spending increased 13 percent in the first quarter representing 16.6 percent of sales in 2003 versus 11.9 percent in 2002. R&D spending increased due to higher spending in the area of drug development, including clinical trials. Research expenditures reflect the timing of the Company's funding of both internal research efforts and research collaborations with various partners to discover and develop a steady flow of innovative products.

Income before income taxes decreased 72 percent for the quarter compared with 2002, and represented 10.4 percent of sales versus 30.5 percent last year.

The effective tax rate was 20.0 percent in the first quarter of 2003 and 23.0 percent in 2002. The lower rate was primarily due to the loss of prescription CLARITIN sales in the United States which resulted in a change in the mix of pre-tax earnings such that jurisdictions with lower tax rates now constitute a greater proportion of the total.

Diluted earnings per common share decreased 71 percent in the first quarter to $0.12 from $0.41 in 2002. Excluding foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, diluted earnings per share in the first quarter of 2003 decreased 76 percent. The Company advises that the trend in earnings per share should be viewed with and without the impact of foreign currency exchange rates.

Liquidity and financial resources - three months ended March 31, 2003

Cash provided by operating activities totaled $441 million in the first quarter of 2003 versus $509 million for the same period in 2002. Cash provided by operating activities declined due to lower earnings that resulted primarily from the loss of marketing exclusivity for CLARITIN in the United States along with its conversion to OTC status. For the first quarter of 2003, much of the cash flow impact of lower earnings was mitigated by the collection of accounts receivable that followed the decline in the CLARITIN business. As a result, cash flow from operations in the first quarter was sufficient to fund working capital, capital expenditures and dividends.

The following paragraphs describe the potential that cash flow from operations will not be sufficient to fund working capital, capital expenditures and dividends, particularly as it relates to the Company's domestic operations. However, the Company believes that it has adequate internal and external resources, including cash and short-term investments and committed lines of credit (as described below) and access to the global capital markets, to meet its financial requirements.

For the remainder of 2003, the cash flow impact of lower earnings will not be mitigated by the collection of accounts receivable as was true in the first quarter of 2003. Consequently, cash provided by operating activities in subsequent quarters of 2003 and possibly beyond will not be sufficient to fund working capital, capital expenditures and dividends if these items remain at levels comparable to that in the first quarter. Also, under the terms of the consent decree described in "Additional Factors Influencing Operations" below, the second installment of $250 million becomes due in the second quarter of 2003. Further, cash flow needs in subsequent quarters of 2003 and beyond could include payments arising from the matters described in the "Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters" footnote included in the financial statements to this report. At this time, management cannot estimate the amounts or timing of any such potential payments.

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $3,340 million at March 31, 2003. In addition, the Company had short-term investments of time deposits with maturities of five months or less totaling $538 million at March 31, 2003. Substantially all cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments are held by wholly-owned, foreign-based subsidiaries.

Short-term borrowings and the current portion of long-term debt totaled $1,223 million at March 31, 2003. Approximately 90% of these borrowings is owed by wholly-owned, U.S.-based subsidiaries of the Company.

The cash flow needs in excess of cash provided by operating activities that is discussed above is expected to occur entirely within the U.S. operations. Cash provided by foreign operating activities is expected to be sufficient to fund foreign working capital needs and foreign capital expenditures.

If the funds held by foreign-based subsidiaries were to be used to fund U.S. cash flow needs, additional U.S. income taxes could be owed. Presently, management does not expect to draw upon the funds held by its foreign-based subsidiaries to fund U.S. cash flow needs. Instead, management intends to fund the domestic cash flow needs through additional borrowings. Management believes it has the ability to access the financial resources to fund any such needs. However, if circumstances change, management continues to have the option of drawing upon the funds held by its foreign-based subsidiaries.

In February 2003, the Company filed a shelf registration with the SEC that enables the Company to issue up to $2 billion of long-term unsecured debt securities, which has not yet become effective. The Company intends to use net proceeds from the sale of the securities for general corporate purposes, including the refinancing of U.S. short-term debt.

The Company has two committed, unsecured revolving credit facilities from a syndicate of financial institutions. Under one facility, up to $500 million can be drawn down in the United States through May 21, 2003, with repayment due by May 2004. Under a second multi-currency facility, an additional $500 million can be drawn down in the United States through the maturity date of May 2006. As of March 31, 2003, no funds were drawn down under these facilities.

Standard & Poor's (S&P's) rating of the Company's corporate credit and preliminary senior unsecured debt shelf rating is "AA-", its short-term rating is "A-1+" and S&P is maintaining its negative outlook. Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) rating of the Company's senior unsecured debt under its prospective shelf registration is "A1" and its rating outlook is stable. Moody's short-term rating for the Company is "Prime-1".

Off-Balance Sheet Financing

As disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 the Company employs a number of strategies to balance the cash requirements of its subsidiaries. One of these strategies utilizes two long-term interest rate swap contracts, one between a foreign-based subsidiary and a bank and the other between a U.S. subsidiary and the same bank. The two contracts have equal and offsetting terms and are covered by a master netting arrangement.

The contract involving the foreign-based subsidiary permits the subsidiary to prepay a portion of its future obligation to the bank, and the contract involving the U.S. subsidiary permits the bank to prepay a portion of its future obligation to the U.S. subsidiary. Interest is paid on the prepaid balances by both parties at market rates. Prepayments totaling $1.9 billion have been made under both contracts as of March 31, 2003. The prepaid amounts have been netted in the preparation of the consolidated balance sheet in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 39, "Offsetting of Amounts Related to Certain Contracts". The FASB is considering changing the accounting for prepaid swaps and similar arrangements to disallow netting and instead require the prepayment under one contract to be reported as a long-term investment and the prepayment under the other contract to be reported as a long-term liability.

Management does not believe that this potential change in financial reporting for prepaid swaps would have a material impact on the Company's liquidity or financial resources. The change in financial reporting would result in the addition to the balance sheet of a long-term investment and long-term debt in equal amounts.

Additional Factors Influencing Operations

In the United States, many of the Company's pharmaceutical products are subject to increasingly competitive pricing as managed care groups, institutions, government agencies and other groups seek price discounts. In most international markets, the Company operates in an environment of government-mandated cost-containment programs. In the U.S. market, the Company and other pharmaceutical manufacturers are required to provide statutorily defined rebates to various government agencies in order to participate in Medicaid, the veterans health care program and other government-funded programs. Several governments have placed restrictions on physician prescription levels and patient reimbursements, emphasized greater use of generic drugs and enacted across-the-board price cuts as methods to control costs.

Since the Company is unable to predict the final form and timing of any future domestic or international governmental or other health care initiatives, their effect on operations and cash flows cannot be reasonably estimated. Similarly, the effect on operations and cash flows of decisions of government entities, managed care groups and other groups concerning formularies and pharmaceutical reimbursement policies cannot be reasonably estimated.

A significant portion of net sales is made to major pharmaceutical and health care products distributors and major retail chains in the United States. Consequently, net sales and quarterly growth comparisons may be affected by fluctuations in the buying patterns of major distributors, retail chains and other trade buyers. These fluctuations may result from seasonality, pricing, wholesaler buying decisions or other factors.

The market for pharmaceutical products is competitive. The Company's operations may be affected by technological advances of competitors, industry consolidation, patents granted to competitors, new products of competitors and generic competition as the Company's products mature. In addition, patent positions are increasingly being challenged by competitors, and the outcome can be highly uncertain. An adverse result in a patent dispute can preclude commercialization of products or negatively affect sales of existing products. The effect on operations of competitive factors and patent disputes cannot be predicted.

As noted in the "Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters" footnote included in the financial statements to this report, the Company has sued drug manufacturers that are marketing or seeking to market certain forms of generic loratadine prior to the expiration of the Company's compound patent for desloratadine. In each case, the Company has filed suit in federal court seeking a ruling that the applicable Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) or "paper" New Drug Application submission and proposed marketing of a generic prescription or OTC product constitute infringement of the Company's patents and that the challenge to the patents is without merit. The compound patent for loratadine expired on June 19, 2002, and U.S. market exclusivity for CLARITIN expired on December 19, 2002. A patent covering the compound desloratadine, formulations thereof, and methods of treatment with desloratadine as it relates to CLARITIN is set to expire on April 21, 2004. Six months' U.S. market exclusivity would attach to the end of the desloratadine patent as it relates to CLARITIN and would expire on October 21, 2004. This six-month period of exclusivity was granted because the Company conducted pediatric clinical trials at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On August 8, 2002, a federal district court in New Jersey ruled on motions for summary judgment, finding that certain of the desloratadine compound patent claims, which the company believes protect CLARITIN, were anticipated by a prior patent and thus invalid. On September 18, 2002, the district court denied a request for reconsideration. The Company has appealed the rulings. The Company anticipates that the appeal will be decided in the second half of 2003 or early 2004. With these rulings, actions against the defendants for infringement of the desloratadine compound patent will not proceed unless the Company's appeal is successful. The Company has also asserted that ANDAs filed by two manufacturers for generic versions of CLARITIN-D 24 Hour infringe the Company's patent covering CLARITIN-D 24 Hour. This issue has not yet been resolved by the district court.

On November 27, 2002, the Company announced that all five formulations of the CLARITIN brand of non-drowsy allergy products had been approved at their original prescription strengths by the FDA as OTC medicines for the treatment of allergies. The Company also has been informed by the FDA that the New Drug Applications (NDAs) for these CLARITIN formulations, as well as for all indications (allergies and hives), will be transferred from the FDA's Pulmonary Division Office of Drug Evaluation II to the Division of Over-the-Counter Drug Products Office of Drug Evaluation V. The Company launched OTC CLARITIN in the United States in December 2002. Also in December 2002, a competing OTC loratadine product was launched in the United States.

The Company continues to market CLARINEX (desloratadine) 5 mg tablets for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, which combines the indication of seasonal allergic rhinitis with the indication of perennial allergic rhinitis, as well as the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria, or hives of unknown cause. The ability of the Company to capture and maintain market share for CLARINEX and OTC CLARITIN in the U.S. market will depend on a number of factors, including: additional entrants in the market for allergy treatments; clinical differentiation of CLARINEX from other allergy treatments and the perception of the extent of such differentiation in the marketplace; the pricing differentials among OTC CLARITIN, CLARINEX, other allergy treatments and generic OTC loratadine; the erosion rate of OTC CLARITIN and CLARINEX sales upon the entry of additional generic OTC loratadine products; and whether or not one or both of the other branded second-generation antihistamines are switched from prescription to OTC status. CLARINEX is experiencing intense competition in the U.S. allergy market. The Company is beginning to implement new marketing efforts to address market share performance.

The switch of CLARITIN to OTC status and the introduction of competing OTC loratadine has resulted in a rapid, sharp and material decline in CLARITIN sales in the United States and the Company's results of operations. U.S. sales of prescription CLARITIN products were $16 million and $565 million in the first quarter of 2003 and 2002, respectively, or 1 percent and 22 percent, respectively, of the Company's consolidated worldwide sales for those quarters. Sales of CLARINEX in the United States and abroad could also be materially adversely affected by the presence of generic OTC loratadine or OTC CLARITIN in the market given the contraction of the prescription antihistamine market. In light of the factors described above, management believes that the Company's December 2002 introduction of OTC CLARITIN, as well as the introduction of a competing OTC loratadine product in December 2002 and additional entrants of generic OTC loratadine products in the market, will likely have a rapid, sharp and material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations for an indeterminate period of time.

As disclosed in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as noted in the "Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters" footnote included in the financial statements to this report, three drug manufacturers have submitted ANDAs to the FDA seeking to market generic forms of REBETOL (ribavirin) Capsules in the United States before the expiration of the Company's patents covering ribavirin formulations. The Company has sued those manufacturers in federal court for infringement. In February 2003, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals, L.L.C. (Three Rivers) that will settle all patent litigation between the Company and Three Rivers. In March 2003, the Company entered into separate licensing agreements with Geneva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Geneva) and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Teva) that will settle all patent litigation between the Company and Geneva and Teva. These settlements do not affect Three Rivers', Geneva's or Teva's reported patent litigation with Ribapharm, Inc. relating to ribavirin patents. The agreements are subject to the dismissal of the relevant lawsuits in court. Generic forms of ribavirin could enter the U.S. market in 2003, assuming FDA's approval of a generic ribavirin. The REBETOL patents are material to the Company's business. U.S. sales of REBETOL in the first quarter of 2003 were $136 million.

PEG-INTRON and REBETOL combination therapy for hepatitis C contributed substantially to sales in 2002. During the fourth quarter of 2002, a competing pegylated interferon-based combination product, including a brand of ribavirin, received regulatory approval in most major markets, including the United States. The overall market share of the INTRON franchise has been declining, reflecting this new market competition. Management believes that the ability of PEG-INTRON and REBETOL combination therapy to maintain market share will be adversely affected by the introduction of a competing product.

In October 2002, Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA approved ZETIA (ezetimibe) 10 mg for use either by itself or together with statins for the treatment of elevated cholesterol levels. Ezetimibe also received marketing approval in October in Germany, where it is marketed as EZETROL. In March 2003, the Company announced that ezetimibe (EZETROL) has successfully completed the European Union (EU) mutual recognition procedure (MRP). With the completion of the MRP process, the 15 EU member states as well as Iceland and Norway can grant national marketing authorization with unified labeling for EZETROL, which will be introduced in these countries shortly following the completion of local regulations, pricing and/or reimbursement approvals. The Merck/Schering-Plough partnership is also pursuing the development and marketing of a once-daily tablet combining ezetimibe with simvastatin (Zocor), Merck's cholesterol-modifying medicine.

Uncertainties inherent in government regulatory approval processes, including, among other things, delays in approval of new products, formulations or indications, may also affect the Company's operations. The effect of regulatory approval processes on operations cannot be predicted.

The Company is subject to the jurisdiction of various national, state and local regulatory agencies and is therefore subject to potential administrative actions. Of particular importance is the FDA in the United States. It has jurisdiction over all the Company's businesses and administers requirements covering the testing, safety, effectiveness, approval, manufacturing, labeling and marketing of the Company's products. From time to time, agencies, including the FDA, may require the Company to address various manufacturing, advertising, labeling or other regulatory issues, such as those noted below relating to the Company's current manufacturing issues. Failure to comply with governmental regulations can result in delays in the release of products, seizure or recall of products, suspension or revocation of the authority necessary for the production and sale of products, discontinuance of products, fines and other civil or criminal sanctions. Any such result could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position and its results of operations. Additional information regarding government regulation and cautionary factors that may affect future results is provided in Part I, Item I, "Business," in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002.

As noted in the "Consent Decree" footnote included in the financial statements to this report, on May 17, 2002, the Company announced that it reached an agreement with the FDA for a consent decree to resolve issues involving the Company's compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices at certain manufacturing facilities in New Jersey and Puerto Rico. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey approved and entered the consent decree on May 20, 2002.

Under terms of the consent decree, the Company will pay a total of $500 million to the U.S. government in two equal installments of $250 million; the first installment was paid in May 2002 and the second installment will be paid in the second quarter of 2003. As previously reported, the Company accrued a $500 million provision for this consent decree in the fourth quarter of 2001.

In the event certain actions agreed upon in the consent decree are not satisfactorily completed on time, the FDA may assess payments for each deadline missed. The consent decree required the Company to develop and submit for FDA's concurrence comprehensive CGMP Work Plans for the Company's manufacturing facilities in New Jersey and Puerto Rico that are covered by the decree. The Company is awaiting FDA concurrence with its proposed CGMP Work Plans, submitted in 2002 in accordance with the schedule established by the consent decree. The CGMP Work Plans contain a number of Significant Steps whose timely and satisfactory completion are subject to payments of $15,000 per business day for each deadline missed. These payments may not exceed $25 million for 2002, and $50 million for each of the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. These payments are subject to an overall cap of $175 million.

In connection with its discussions with FDA regarding the Company's CGMP Work Plans, and pursuant to the terms of the decree, the Company and FDA entered into a letter agreement dated April 14, 2003, which is filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this 10-Q. In the letter agreement the Company and FDA agreed to extend by six months the time period during which the Company may incur payments as described above with respect to certain of the Significant Steps whose proposed due dates are December 31, 2005. The letter agreement does not increase the yearly or overall caps on payments described above.

In addition, the decree requires the Company to complete programs of revalidation of the finished drug products and bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients manufactured at the covered manufacturing facilities. The Significant Steps and the completion of the revalidation programs are subject to third-party expert certification, which must be accepted by the FDA. The Company is required under the consent decree to complete its revalidation programs for bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients by September 30, 2005 and for finished drugs by December 31, 2005. In general, the timely and satisfactory completion of the revalidations are subject to payments of $15,000 per business day for each deadline missed, subject to the caps described above. However, if a product scheduled for revalidation has not been certified as having been validated by the last date on the validation schedule, the FDA may assess a payment of 24.6 percent of the net domestic sales of the uncertified product until the validation is certified. The Company would expense any payments assessed under the decree if and when incurred. Further, in general, if a product scheduled for revalidation under the consent decree is not certified within six months of its scheduled date, the Company must cease production of that product until certification is obtained. The consent decree provides that if the Company believes that it may not be able to meet a deadline, the Company has the right, upon the showing of good cause, to request extensions of deadlines in connection with the CGMP Work Plans and revalidation programs. However, there is no guarantee that FDA will grant any such requests.

In addition, the failure to meet the terms of the consent decree could result in delays in approval of new products, seizure or recall of products, suspension or revocation of the authority necessary for the production and sale of products, fines and other civil or criminal sanctions.

In April 2003, the Company received notice of a False Claims Act complaint brought by an individual purporting to act on behalf of the United States government against it and approximately 25 other pharmaceutical companies in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The complaint alleges that the pharmaceutical companies, including the Company, have defrauded the United States by having made sales to various federal governmental agencies of drugs which were allegedly manufactured in a manner that did not comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices.

As described more specifically in the "Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters" footnote included in the financial statements to this report, to which the reader of this report is directed, the pricing, sales and marketing programs and arrangements, and related business practices of the Company and other participants in the health care industry are under increasing scrutiny from federal and state regulatory, investigative, prosecutorial and administrative entities. These entities include the Department of Justice and its U.S. Attorney's Offices, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and various state Attorneys General offices. Many of the health care laws under which certain of these governmental entities operate, including the federal and state "anti-kickback" statutes and statutory and common law "false claims" laws, have been construed broadly by the courts and permit the government entities to exercise significant discretion. In the event that any of those governmental entities believes that wrongdoing has occurred, one or more of them could institute civil or criminal proceedings, which, if instituted and resolved unfavorably, could subject the Company to substantial fines, penalties and injunctive or administrative remedies, including exclusion from government reimbursement programs, and the Company also cannot predict whether any investigations will affect its marketing practices or sales. Any such result could have a material adverse effect on the Company, its financial condition or its results of operations.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

Refer to "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Operations and Financial Condition" in Exhibit 13 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 for disclosures regarding the Company's critical accounting policies.

 

Cautionary Factors that May Affect Future Results (Cautionary Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and other sections of this report and other written reports and oral statements made from time to time by the Company may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations or forecasts of future events. They use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "project," "intend," "plan," "potential," "will," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of potential future events, circumstances or future operating or financial performance. You can also identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.

In particular, forward-looking statements include statements relating to future actions, prospective products, the status of product approvals, future performance or results of current and anticipated products, sales efforts, development programs, expenses, the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations, growth strategy and financial results.

Any or all of our forward-looking statements here or in other publications may turn out to be wrong. Our actual results may vary materially, and there are no guarantees about the performance of Schering-Plough stock. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

You should carefully consider any forward-looking statement and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ 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. Although it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, they may include the following:

  • A significant portion of net sales are made to major pharmaceutical and health care products distributors and major retail chains in the United States. Consequently, net sales and quarterly growth comparisons may be affected by fluctuations in the buying patterns of major distributors, retail chains and other trade buyers. These fluctuations may result from seasonality, pricing, wholesaler buying decisions or other factors.
  • Competitive factors, including technological advances attained by competitors, patents granted to competitors, new products of competitors coming to the market, new indications for competitive products or generic prescription or OTC competition as the Company's products mature and patents expire on products.
  • Increased pricing pressure both in the United States and abroad from managed care organizations, institutions and government agencies and programs. In the United States, among other developments, consolidation among customers may increase pricing pressures and may result in various customers having greater influence over prescription decisions through formulary decisions and other policies.
  • Government laws and regulations (and changes in laws and regulations) affecting domestic and international operations and the enforcement thereof including, among other laws and regulations, those resulting from healthcare reform initiatives in the United States at the state and federal level and in other countries, as well as laws and regulations relating to trade, antitrust, monetary and fiscal policies, taxes, price controls and possible nationalization.
  • Patent positions can be highly uncertain and patent disputes are not unusual. An adverse result in a patent dispute can preclude commercialization of products or negatively impact sales of existing products or result in injunctive relief and payment of financial remedies.
  • Uncertainties of the FDA approval process and the regulatory approval processes of non-U.S. countries, including, without limitation, delays in approval of new products.
  • Failure to meet Good Manufacturing Practices established by the FDA and other governmental authorities can result in delays in the release of products, seizure or recall of products, suspension or revocation of the authority necessary for the production and sale of products, fines and other civil or criminal sanctions. The resolution of manufacturing issues with the FDA discussed in this report are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties, including the timing, scope and duration of a resolution of the manufacturing issues, will depend on the ability of the Company to assure the FDA of the quality and reliability of its manufacturing systems and controls, and the extent of remedial and prospective obligations undertaken by the Company.
  • Difficulties in product development. Pharmaceutical product development is highly uncertain. Products that appear promising in development may fail to reach market for numerous reasons. They may be found to be ineffective or to have harmful side effects in clinical or pre-clinical testing, they may fail to receive the necessary regulatory approvals, they may turn out not to be economically feasible because of manufacturing costs or other factors or they may be precluded from commercialization by the proprietary rights of others.
  • Efficacy or safety concerns with respect to marketed products, whether or not scientifically justified, leading to recalls, withdrawals or declining sales.
  • Major products such as CLARITIN, CLARINEX, INTRON A, PEG-INTRON, REBETOL Capsules and NASONEX accounted for a material portion of the Company's 2002 revenues. If any major product were to become subject to a problem such as loss of patent protection, OTC availability (as indicated above for CLARITIN and its current and potential OTC competition), previously unknown side effects, if a new, more effective treatment should be introduced; or if the product is discontinued for any reason, the impact on revenues could be significant. Further such information about important new products such as ZETIA or other important products in our pipeline may impact future revenues.
  • Legal factors, including product liability claims and other litigation, government investigations, patent disputes with competitors and environmental concerns, any of which could preclude commercialization of products or negatively affect the profitability of existing products.
  • Economic factors over which the Company has no control, including changes in inflation, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates.
  • Instability, disruption or destruction in a geographic region important to us - due to the location of our manufacturing facilities, distribution facilities or customers - regardless of cause, including war, terrorism, riot, civil insurrection or social unrest; and natural or man-made disasters, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), famine, flood, fire, earthquake and storm.
  • Changes in tax laws including changes related to taxation of foreign earnings.
  • Changes in accounting standards promulgated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission that would require a significant change to the Company's accounting practices.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The Company is exposed to market risk primarily from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and, to a lesser extent, from interest rates and equity prices. Refer to "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Operations and Financial Condition" in Exhibit 13 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 for additional information.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Management, including the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer, has evaluated the Company's disclosure controls and procedures within a period of 90 days prior to the filing date of this Form 10-Q and has concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that material information relating to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries is made known to them. They also concluded that there were no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of their most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

Legal proceedings involving the Company are described in the 2002 Report on Form 10-K referred to as the "Report" in this Legal Proceedings Item. Unless specifically indicated below, matters described in the Report are still pending. The following description should be read together with the Report and covers material developments to previously reported proceedings and new material legal proceedings involving the Company that arose since the March 10, 2003 filing date of the 10-K.

New Litigation

On March 31, 2003, the Company was served with a putative class action complaint filed in the United States District Court in New Jersey alleging that the Company, Richard Jay Kogan (who resigned as Chairman of the Board November 13, 2002 and retired as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of the Company April 20, 2003) and the Company's Employee Savings Plan (Plan) administrator breached their fiduciary obligations to certain participants in the Plan. The allegations primarily relate to disclosures about the Company's Good Manufacturing Practices issues (which are discussed under "Securities and Class Action Litigation" in relation to the Company's disclosures about its consent decree with FDA and related matters) and disclosures about the meetings with investors the week of September 30 and other communications (discussed under "Update on SEC Inquiry and Related Litigation" below).

In April 2003, the Company received notice of a False Claims Act complaint brought by an individual purporting to act on behalf of the United States government against it and approximately 25 other pharmaceutical companies in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The complaint alleges that the pharmaceutical companies, including the Company, have defrauded the United States by having made sales to various federal governmental agencies of drugs which were allegedly manufactured in a manner that did not comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices.

Update on Patent Matters

As described in the "Legal, Environmental and Regulatory Matters" footnote, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the U.S. FDA seeking to market a generic CLARITIN-D 24 Hour formulation. The Company has filed suit in federal court seeking a ruling that the submission and the proposed marketing of a generic CLARITIN-D 24 Hour formulation constitutes infringement of the Company's desloratadine compound patent, and that the challenge to the patent is without merit.

Update on SEC Inquiry and Related Litigation

We continue to cooperate with the SEC staff in its enforcement proceeding against the Company and Richard Jay Kogan regarding meetings held with investors the week of September 30, 2002 and other communications.

The federal putative class actions filed against the Company and Mr. Kogan regarding the meetings held with investors the week of September 30, 2002 and other communications were consolidated and, pursuant to that consolidation, an amended complaint dated March 13, 2003 was filed, alleging violations of Sections 10(b), 20(a) and 20(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 relating to the alleged disclosures made during the meetings mentioned in the paragraph above. The Company filed a motion to dismiss these class actions May 6, 2003.

 

Item 4.

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

   
   

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders was held on April 22, 2003. At the meeting:

 

1. Three nominees for director were elected for a three-year term by a vote of                shares, as follows:

     

Nominees

FOR

WITHHELD

Carl E. Mundy, Jr.

1,243,719,204

43,088,009

Patricia F. Russo

1,243,264,741

43,542,472

Arthur F. Weinbach

1,230,251,119

56,556,094

     

2. The designation by the Finance and Audit Review Committee of Deloitte & Touche LLP to audit the books and accounts of the Company for the year ending December 31, 2003 was ratified by a vote of shares as follows:

 

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

     

1,250,734,209

33,371,042

2,701,962

 

 

Item 6.

Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

(a)

Exhibits - The following Exhibits are filed with this document

   

Exhibit Number

Description

12

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

15

Awareness letter

99.1

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Section 906 Certification for Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President

99.2

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Section 906 Certification for Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

99.3

Letter Agreement dated April 14, 2003 relating to Consent Decree

(b)

Reports on Form 8-K:

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2003, the Company filed seven current reports on Form 8-K:

1.

Report filed January 10, 2003, under Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits and Item 9 - Regulation FD Disclosure.

2.

Report filed January 21, 2003, under Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits and Item 9 - Regulation FD Disclosure.

3.

Report filed January 23, 2003, under Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits and Item 9 - Regulation FD Disclosure.

4.

Report filed February 7, 2003, under Item 5 - Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure, Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits and Item 9 - Regulation FD Disclosure.

5.

Report filed February 25, 2003, under Item 5 - Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure, Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits and Item 9 - Regulation FD Disclosure.

6.

Report filed March 5, 2003, under Item 5 - Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure and Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits.

7.

Report filed March 31, 2003, under Item 7 - Financial Statements and Exhibits and Item 9 - Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

 

SIGNATURE(S)

 

 

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.

 

Schering-Plough Corporation

 

(Registrant)

   

Date    May 12, 2003

    /s/Thomas H. Kelly    

Thomas H. Kelly

Vice President and Controller

(Duly Authorized Officer and

Chief Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

CERTIFICATION

I, Fred Hassan, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Schering-Plough Corporation (the "registrant");

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

c) presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and

6. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date: May 12, 2003

/s/ Fred Hassan

Fred Hassan

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President

CERTIFICATION

I, Jack L. Wyszomierski, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Schering-Plough Corporation (the "registrant");

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

c) presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and

6. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date: May 12, 2003

/s/ Jack L. Wyszomierski

Jack L. Wyszomierski

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer