Where Will Schering's Q2 Share of The Vytorin/Zetia Sales Land?

▲ 7:32 am -- While Schering-Plough is reporting Q2 worldwide sales of $506 million, from its half of the Cholesterol Joint Venture Franchise, that figure includes milestone "and other" payments, according to the press release -- so we will have to wait for the Form 10-Q to file in a few weeks, to see whether Schering-Plough reversed out some or all of the $111 million in "receivables" it was owed, at the close of the Q1 2009, to reach the $506 million figure. If it did, then the "apples to apples" sales number for Q2 would have been $395 million -- nearly dead on the number I suggested on July 18, 2009. It also looks like the press release counts sales from non joint venture countries, including Japan, in this figure -- the Form 10-Q, if calculated consistently with prior quareters, will strip that out. Stay tuned.

▲ It is certain, though, that Cowen & Co. was too optimistic on July 18, with this: ". . . .According to Cowen and Co., sales of Zetia will probably come in 5% lower at $550 million, while Vytorin sales will be 4% lower at $565 million. . . ."

▲ 12:45 am -- Schering-Plough just reported that it spent $550,000 on lobyists, in the second quarter of 2009. Added to the $610,000 it spent in the first quarter, all-in, Kenilworth has coughed up $1.16 million to lobbying efforts -- and almost all of that, on health care reform.

▲ Merck reported it spent $1.5 million in Q2 2009, and $1.6 million in Q1 2009 -- thus, between the two companies, they've spent $4.26 million -- on health care reform messaging, and some patent law change positioning.

▲ Okay -- We'll begin here, in earnest, at about 7:20 am EDT. . . .

Schering-Plough's Stream