Collaborative Arrangements	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Collaborative Arrangements [Abstract]
Collaborative Arrangements	4. Collaborative Arrangements The Company continues its strategy of establishing external alliances to complement its substantial internal research capabilities, including research collaborations, licensing preclinical and clinical compounds and technology platforms to drive both near- and long-term growth. The Company supplements its internal research with a licensing and external alliance strategy focused on the entire spectrum of collaborations from early research to late-stage compounds, as well as new technologies across a broad range of therapeutic areas. These arrangements often include upfront payments and royalty or profit share payments, contingent upon the occurrence of certain future events linked to the success of the asset in development, as well as expense reimbursements or payments to the third party. Cozaar/Hyzaar In 1989, Old Merck and E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company (“DuPont”) agreed to form a long-term research and marketing collaboration to develop a class of therapeutic agents for high blood pressure and heart disease, discovered by DuPont, called angiotensin II receptor antagonists, which include Cozaar and Hyzaar. In return, Old Merck provided DuPont marketing rights in the United States and Canada to its prescription medicines, Sinemet and Sinemet CR (the Company has since regained global marketing rights to Sinemet and Sinemet CR). Pursuant to a 1994 agreement with DuPont, the Company has an exclusive licensing agreement to market Cozaar and Hyzaar in return for royalties and profit share payments to DuPont. The patents that provided market exclusivity in the United States for Cozaar and Hyzaar expired in April 2010. In addition, Cozaar and Hyzaar lost patent protection in a number of major European markets in March 2010. Remicade/Simponi In 1998, a subsidiary of Schering-Plough entered into a licensing agreement with Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. (“Centocor”), a Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) company, to market Remicade, which is prescribed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In 2005, Schering-Plough’s subsidiary exercised an option under its contract with Centocor for license rights to develop and commercialize Simponi (golimumab), a fully human monoclonal antibody. The Company had exclusive marketing rights to both products outside the United States, Japan and certain other Asian markets. In December 2007, Schering-Plough and Centocor revised their distribution agreement regarding the development, commercialization and distribution of both Remicade and Simponi, extending the Company’s rights to exclusively market Remicade to match the duration of the Company’s exclusive marketing rights for Simponi. In addition, Schering-Plough and Centocor agreed to share certain development costs relating to Simponi’s auto-injector delivery system. On October 6, 2009, the European Commission approved Simponi as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other immune system disorders in two presentations — a novel auto-injector and a prefilled syringe. As a result, the Company’s marketing rights for both products extend for 15 years from the first commercial sale of Simponi in the European Union (“EU”) following the receipt of pricing and reimbursement approval within the EU. In April 2011, Merck and J&J reached agreement to amend the distribution rights to Remicade and Simponi. Under the terms of the amended distribution agreement, Merck relinquished exclusive marketing rights for Remicade and Simponi to J&J in territories including Canada, Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific effective July 1, 2011. Merck retained exclusive marketing rights throughout Europe, Russia and Turkey (“Retained Territories”). In addition, beginning July 1, 2011, all profit derived from Merck’s exclusive distribution of the two products in the Retained Territories is being equally divided between Merck and J&J. Under the prior terms of the distribution agreement, the contribution income (profit) split, which was at 58% to Merck and 42% percent to J&J, would have declined for Merck and increased for J&J each year until 2014, when it would have been equally divided. J&J also received a one-time payment of $500 million in April 2011, which the Company recorded as a charge to Other (income) expense, net in the first quarter of 2011.

4. Collaborative Arrangements

The Company continues its strategy of establishing external alliances to complement its substantial internal research capabilities, including research collaborations, licensing preclinical and clinical compounds and technology platforms to drive both near- and long-term growth. The Company supplements its internal research with a licensing and external alliance strategy focused on the entire spectrum of collaborations from early research to late-stage compounds, as well as new technologies across a broad range of therapeutic areas. These arrangements often include upfront payments and royalty or profit share payments, contingent upon the occurrence of certain future events linked to the success of the asset in development, as well as expense reimbursements or payments to the third party.

Cozaar/Hyzaar

In 1989, Old Merck and E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company (“DuPont”) agreed to form a long-term research and marketing collaboration to develop a class of therapeutic agents for high blood pressure and heart disease, discovered by DuPont, called angiotensin II receptor antagonists, which include Cozaar and Hyzaar. In return, Old Merck provided DuPont marketing rights in the United States and Canada to its prescription medicines, Sinemet and Sinemet CR (the Company has since regained global marketing rights to Sinemet and Sinemet CR). Pursuant to a 1994 agreement with DuPont, the Company has an exclusive licensing agreement to market Cozaar and Hyzaar in return for royalties and profit share payments to DuPont. The patents that provided market exclusivity in the United States for Cozaar and Hyzaar expired in April 2010. In addition, Cozaar and Hyzaar lost patent protection in a number of major European markets in March 2010.

Remicade/Simponi

In 1998, a subsidiary of Schering-Plough entered into a licensing agreement with Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. (“Centocor”), a Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) company, to market Remicade, which is prescribed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In 2005, Schering-Plough’s subsidiary exercised an option under its contract with Centocor for license rights to develop and commercialize Simponi (golimumab), a fully human monoclonal antibody. The Company had exclusive marketing rights to both products outside the United States, Japan and certain other Asian markets. In December 2007, Schering-Plough and Centocor revised their distribution agreement regarding the development, commercialization and distribution of both Remicade and Simponi, extending the Company’s rights to exclusively market Remicade to match the duration of the Company’s exclusive marketing rights for Simponi. In addition, Schering-Plough and Centocor agreed to share certain development costs relating to Simponi’s auto-injector delivery system. On October 6, 2009, the European Commission approved Simponi as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other immune system disorders in two presentations — a novel auto-injector and a prefilled syringe. As a result, the Company’s marketing rights for both products extend for 15 years from the first commercial sale of Simponi in the European Union (“EU”) following the receipt of pricing and reimbursement approval within the EU. In April 2011, Merck and J&J reached agreement to amend the distribution rights to Remicade and Simponi. Under the terms of the amended distribution agreement, Merck relinquished exclusive marketing rights for Remicade and Simponi to J&J in territories including Canada, Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific effective July 1, 2011. Merck retained exclusive marketing rights throughout Europe, Russia and Turkey (“Retained Territories”). In addition, beginning July 1, 2011, all profit derived from Merck’s exclusive distribution of the two products in the Retained Territories is being equally divided between Merck and J&J. Under the prior terms of the distribution agreement, the contribution income (profit) split, which was at 58% to Merck and 42% percent to J&J, would have declined for Merck and increased for J&J each year until 2014, when it would have been equally divided. J&J also received a one-time payment of $500 million in April 2011, which the Company recorded as a charge to Other (income) expense, net in the first quarter of 2011.