Merck has entered into collaborative arrangements that provide the Company with varying rights to develop, produce and market products together with its collaborative partners. Both parties in these arrangements are active participants and exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of the activities of the collaboration. Merck’s more significant collaborative arrangements are discussed below.

In 2017, Merck and AstraZeneca PLC (AstraZeneca) entered into a global strategic oncology collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialize AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (olaparib) for multiple cancer types. Independently, Merck and AstraZeneca are developing and commercializing Lynparza in combinations with their respective PD-1 and PD-L1 medicines, Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Imfinzi. The companies are also jointly developing and commercializing AstraZeneca’s Koselugo (selumetinib) for multiple indications. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca and Merck share the development and commercialization costs for Lynparza and Koselugo monotherapy and non-PD-L1/PD-1 combination therapy opportunities.

Profits from Lynparza and Koselugo product sales generated through monotherapies or combination therapies are shared equally. AstraZeneca is the principal on Lynparza and Koselugo sales transactions. Merck records its share of Lynparza and Koselugo product sales, net of cost of sales and commercialization costs, as alliance revenue, and its share of development costs associated with the collaboration as part of Research and development expenses. Reimbursements received from AstraZeneca for research and development expenses are recognized as reductions to Research and development costs.

As part of the agreement, Merck made an upfront payment to AstraZeneca and also made payments over a multi-year period for certain license options. In addition, the agreement provides for contingent payments from Merck to AstraZeneca related to the successful achievement of sales-based and regulatory milestones.

In 2022, Merck determined it was probable that sales of Lynparza in the future would trigger a $600 million sales-based milestone payment from Merck to AstraZeneca. Accordingly, Merck recorded a $600 million liability (which remained accrued at March 31, 2024) and a corresponding increase to the intangible asset related to Lynparza. Potential future sales-based milestone payments of $2.1 billion have not yet been accrued as they are not deemed by the Company to be probable at this time. Lynparza received regulatory approvals triggering capitalized milestone payments from Merck to AstraZeneca of $245 million and $105 million in the first quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively (each of which had been previously accrued for). Potential future regulatory milestone payments of $650 million remain under the agreement.

The intangible asset balance related to Lynparza (which includes capitalized sales-based and regulatory milestone payments) was $1.4 billion at March 31, 2024 and is included in Other Intangibles, Net. The amount is being amortized over its estimated useful life through 2028 as supported by projected future cash flows, subject to impairment testing.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	2024		2023
Alliance revenue - Lynparza	$	292	$	275
Alliance revenue - Koselugo	38		23
Total alliance revenue	$	330	$	298

Cost of sales (1)	82		70
Selling, general and administrative	39		47
Research and development	20		21

($ in millions)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Receivables from AstraZeneca included in Other current assets	$	334	$	341
Payables to AstraZeneca included in Accrued and other current liabilities (2)	617		256
Payables to AstraZeneca included in Other Noncurrent Liabilities (2)	—		600

In 2018, Merck and Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) announced a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and co-commercialization of Lenvima (lenvatinib), an orally available tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai. Under the agreement, Merck and Eisai are developing and commercializing Lenvima jointly, both as monotherapy and in combination with Keytruda. Eisai records Lenvima product sales globally (Eisai is the principal on Lenvima sales transactions) and Merck and Eisai share applicable profits equally. Merck records its share of Lenvima product sales, net of cost of sales and commercialization costs, as alliance revenue. Expenses incurred during co-development are shared by the two companies in accordance with the collaboration agreement and reflected in Research and development expenses. Certain expenses incurred solely by Merck or Eisai are not shareable under the collaboration agreement, including costs incurred in excess of agreed upon caps and costs related to certain combination studies of Keytruda and Lenvima.

Under the agreement, Merck made an upfront payment to Eisai and also made payments over a multi-year period for certain option rights. In addition, the agreement provides for contingent payments from Merck to Eisai related to the successful achievement of sales-based and regulatory milestones.

In the first quarter of 2023, Merck determined it was probable that sales of Lenvima in the future would trigger a $125 million sales-based milestone payment from Merck to Eisai. Similarly, in the third quarter of 2023 an additional $125 million sales-based milestone payment to Eisai was deemed by the Company to be probable of payment. Accordingly, Merck recorded $250 million of liabilities for these payments (of which $125 million was subsequently paid in the second quarter of 2023 and $125 million remained accrued at March 31, 2024) and corresponding increases to the intangible asset related to Lenvima. Merck also recognized $72 million and $81 million of cumulative amortization catch-up expense related to the recognition of these milestones in the first and third quarters of 2023, respectively. Potential future sales-based milestone payments of $2.3 billion have not yet been accrued as they are not deemed by the Company to be probable at this time. There are no regulatory milestone payments remaining under the agreement.

The intangible asset balance related to Lenvima (which includes capitalized sales-based and regulatory milestone payments) was $623 million at March 31, 2024 and is included in Other Intangibles, Net. The amount is being amortized over its estimated useful life through 2026 as supported by projected future cash flows, subject to impairment testing.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	2024		2023
Alliance revenue - Lenvima	$	255	$	232

Cost of sales (1)	60		126
Selling, general and administrative	39		51
Research and development	8		39

($ in millions)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Receivables from Eisai included in Other current assets	$	255	$	226
Payables to Eisai included in Accrued and other current liabilities (2)	125		125

In 2014, the Company entered into a worldwide clinical development collaboration with Bayer AG (Bayer) to market and develop soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) modulators including Bayer’s Adempas (riociguat) and Verquvo (vericiguat). The two companies have implemented a joint development and commercialization strategy. Under the agreement, Bayer commercializes Adempas in the Americas, while Merck commercializes in the rest of the world. For Verquvo, Merck commercializes in the U.S. and Bayer commercializes in the rest of the world. Both companies share in development costs and profits on sales. Merck records sales of Adempas and Verquvo in its marketing territories, as well as alliance revenue. Alliance revenue represents Merck’s share of profits from sales of Adempas and Verquvo in Bayer’s marketing territories, which are product sales net of cost of sales and commercialization costs. Cost of sales includes Bayer’s share of profits from sales in Merck’s marketing territories.

The intangible asset balances related to Adempas (which includes the acquired intangible asset balance, as well as capitalized sales-based milestone payments attributed to Adempas) and Verquvo (which reflects the portion of the final sales-based milestone payment that was attributed to Verquvo) were $483 million and $49 million, respectively, at March 31, 2024 and are included in Other Intangibles, Net. The assets are being amortized over their estimated useful lives (through 2027 for Adempas and through 2031 for Verquvo) as supported by projected future cash flows, subject to impairment testing.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	2024		2023
Alliance revenue - Adempas/Verquvo	$	98	$	99
Net sales of Adempas recorded by Merck	70		59
Net sales of Verquvo recorded by Merck	5		7
Total sales	$	173	$	165

Cost of sales (1)	62		57
Selling, general and administrative	33		33
Research and development	28		25

($ in millions)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Receivables from Bayer included in Other current assets	$	155	$	156
Payables to Bayer included in Accrued and other current liabilities	74		80

In 2020, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP (Ridgeback), a closely held biotechnology company, entered into a collaboration agreement to develop Lagevrio (molnupiravir), an investigational orally available antiviral candidate for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Merck gained exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize Lagevrio and related molecules. Following initial authorizations in certain markets in the fourth quarter of 2021, Lagevrio has since received multiple additional authorizations.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ridgeback received an upfront payment and is eligible to receive future contingent payments dependent upon the achievement of certain developmental and regulatory approval milestones. The agreement also provides for Merck to reimburse Ridgeback for a portion of certain third-party contingent milestone payments and royalties on net sales, which is part of the profit-sharing calculation. Merck is the principal on sales transactions, recognizing sales and related costs, with profit-sharing amounts recorded within Cost of sales. Profits from the collaboration are split equally between the partners. Reimbursements from Ridgeback for its share of research and development costs (deducted from Ridgeback’s share of profits) are reflected as decreases to Research and development expenses.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	2024		2023
Net sales of Lagevrio recorded by Merck	$	350	$	392

Cost of sales (1)	191		221
Selling, general and administrative	16		27
Research and development	(5)		16

($ in millions)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Payables to Ridgeback included in Accrued and other current liabilities (2)	$	160	$	113

In October 2023, Merck and Daiichi Sankyo entered into a global development and commercialization agreement for three of Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd ADC candidates: patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) (MK-1022), ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) (MK-2400) and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd) (MK-5909). All three potentially first-in-class DXd ADCs are in various stages of clinical development for the treatment of multiple solid tumors both as monotherapy and/or in combination with other treatments. The companies will jointly develop and potentially commercialize these ADC candidates worldwide, except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will maintain exclusive rights. Daiichi Sankyo will be solely responsible for manufacturing and supply.

Under the terms of the agreement, Merck made payments to Daiichi Sankyo totaling $4.0 billion in 2023. These payments included $1.0 billion ($500 million each for patritumab deruxtecan and ifinatamab deruxtecan) which may be refundable on a pro-rated basis in the event of early termination of development with respect to either program. In addition, the agreement provides for a continuation payment of $750 million related to patritumab deruxtecan due from Merck in October 2024 and a continuation payment of $750 million related to raludotatug deruxtecan due from Merck in October 2025. If Merck does not make the continuation payments on the dates noted for either patritumab deruxtecan and/or raludotatug deruxtecan, the rights for the applicable program will revert to Daiichi Sankyo and the non-refundable upfront payments already paid will be retained by Daiichi Sankyo. The agreement also provides for contingent payments from Merck to Daiichi Sankyo of up to an additional $5.5 billion for each DXd ADC upon the successful achievement of certain sales-based milestones. In conjunction with this transaction, Merck recorded an aggregate pretax charge of $5.5 billion to Research and development expenses in the fourth quarter of 2023 for the $4.0 billion of upfront payments and the $1.5 billion of continuation payments.

Merck and Daiichi Sankyo will equally share research and development costs, except for raludotatug deruxtecan, where Merck will be responsible for 75% of the first $2.0 billion of research and development expenses. Merck includes its share of development costs associated with the collaboration as part of Research and development expenses. Following regulatory approval, Daiichi Sankyo will generally record sales worldwide (Daiichi Sankyo will be the principal on sales transactions) and the companies will equally share expenses as well as profits worldwide except for Japan where Daiichi Sankyo retains exclusive rights and Merck will receive a 5% sales-based royalty. Merck will record its share of product sales, net of cost of sales and commercialization costs, as alliance revenue.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	2024		2023
Selling, general and administrative	$	3	$	—
Research and development	69		—

($ in millions)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Payables to Daiichi Sankyo included in Accrued and other current liabilities	$	817	$	800
Payables to Daiichi Sankyo included in Other Noncurrent Liabilities	750		750

In 2022, Merck exercised its option to jointly develop and commercialize V940 (mRNA-4157), an investigational individualized neoantigen therapy, pursuant to the terms of an existing collaboration and license agreement with Moderna, Inc. (Moderna). V940 (mRNA-4157) is currently being evaluated in combination with Keytruda in multiple Phase 3 clinical trials. Merck and Moderna will share costs and any profits equally under this worldwide collaboration. Merck records its share of development costs associated with the collaboration as part of Research and development expenses. Any reimbursements received from Moderna for research and development expenses are recognized as reductions to Research and development costs. Merck has also capitalized certain of the shared costs, which aggregated $110 million at March 31, 2024 and will be amortized over the assets’ estimated useful lives.

Reblozyl (luspatercept-aamt) is a first-in-class erythroid maturation recombinant fusion protein that is being commercialized through a global collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS). Reblozyl is approved in the U.S., Europe and certain other markets for the treatment of anemia in certain rare blood disorders and is also being evaluated for additional indications for hematology therapies. BMS is the principal on sales transactions for Reblozyl; however, Merck co-promotes Reblozyl (and will co-promote all future products approved under this collaboration) in North America, which is reimbursed by BMS. Merck receives tiered royalties ranging from 20% to 24% based on sales levels. This royalty will be reduced by 50% upon the earlier of patent expiry or generic entry on an indication-by-indication basis in each market. Additionally, Merck is eligible to receive future contingent sales-based milestone payments of up to $80 million. Alliance revenue related to this collaboration, consisting of royalties (recorded within Sales) was $71 million and $43 million in the first quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively.