Merck quarterly sales fall 7.6% as pandemic cuts doctor visits

(Reuters) – Merck & Co Inc reported a 7.6% fall in second-quarter sales on Friday as a drop in visits to doctors’ offices because of the COVID-19 pandemic hurt sales of several important drugs.

Sales fell to $10.87 billion from $11.76 billion a year earlier.

Net income attributable to shareholders rose to $3 billion, or $1.18 per share, in the quarter, from $2.67 billion, or $1.03 per share, a year earlier.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)