Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Is A Material Saphris® Impairment Charge Looming?


Paging Salmon. . . Ahem. Dr. Salmon. . .? As you've broadly hinted,, Saphris® (asenapine) may yet end in a whimper -- in the form of a material write down, after probably north of $750 million in invested development costs, over at least the last decade. [And, seriously?! Black cherry flavor?]

Merck just filed its SEC Form 10-Q this evening, and one new disclosure popped right off of page 44:

. . . .Merck continues to focus on building the brand awareness of Saphris in the United States and has launched a black cherry flavor of the sublingual tablet to provide an additional taste option. Merck continues to monitor and assess Saphris/Sycrest and the related intangible asset. If increasing the brand awareness, the additional flavor option, or Lundbeck’s launch of the product in the EU is not successful, the Company may take a non-cash impairment charge with respect to Saphris/Sycrest, and such charge could be material. . . .

Another of Fred Hassan's stars is on the ropes at Whitehouse Station. Yikes.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

5 people earned $0.5 Billion.

55,000 jobs lost.

We are the 99.99%

condor said...

Indeed. Sad. But true.

Namaste