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'''Merck''' is an international [[pharmaceutical]] company and publishes the industry standard Merck Drug Guide. Top competitors include [[Bristol-Myers Squibb]], [[Pfizer]], and [[Sanofi-Aventis]]. Top brand name [[pharmaceuticals]] include Singulair (asthma), Cozaar and Hyzaar (hypertension) and Vytorin, Zetia and Zocor (cholesteral). Merck also manufactures Januvia (type 2 diabetes), Fosamax (osteoporosis), Cosopt and Trusopt (eye disease). The company manufactures childhood and adult vaccines for measles, mumps, hepatitis, and shingles.<ref>[http://www.hoovers.com/merck/--ID__10986--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Company Description: Merck], ''Hoovers'', accessed December 2009</ref>
In the fiscal year ending in December of 2011, Merck reported total revenues global sales of a little over approximately $48 Billion billion<ref>[http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=MRK Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK:New York): Financials], ''Bloomberg BusinessWeek'', online corporate profile, accessed September 13, 2012</ref> and had 86,000 employees<ref>[http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=MRK Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK:New York): Snapshot], ''Bloomberg BusinessWeek'', online corporate profile, accessed September 13, 2012</ref> (down from 100,000 employees in 2009, when it had $27.43 billion in sales).<ref>[http://www.hoovers.com/company/Merck__Co_Inc/rrytji-1-1njea5.html Key Merck & Co., Inc. Financials], ''Hoovers'', accessed December 2010</ref>
==Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council==