You heard it here first

[Anonymous]

Original poster. Gotta hand it to you. 100% spot on. I actually learned something on CP. Thanks for the work.

 

[Anonymous]

Kudos to the O.P. of this thread--you did a good service to get the word out there. Thanks again, and sorry there were so many that doubted you. I could tell you were sincere.

 

[Anonymous]

OP here. You are welcome. I feel fortunate by the fact that I work in a department that is very transparent from the top down which is a rarity here at Merck. I have worked in those departments where no one says anything, you have no clarity, you wait and wonder, what is going to happen and when. I do hope that I was able to lessen the shock of this whole thing. This is significant with a lot of people's lives and families impacted and I wish everyone the very best. I can confirm that on Monday, October 7 the prioritization of the company will be officially announced and this will help bring further clarity. I also understand that things will be moving faster then they historically do (weeks not months in many cases) which frankly is a good thing.

Sincerely,
A friend in HQ

 

[Anonymous]

OP here. You are welcome. I feel fortunate by the fact that I work in a department that is very transparent from the top down which is a rarity here at Merck. I have worked in those departments where no one says anything, you have no clarity, you wait and wonder, what is going to happen and when. I do hope that I was able to lessen the shock of this whole thing. This is significant with a lot of people's lives and families impacted and I wish everyone the very best. I can confirm that on Monday, October 7 the prioritization of the company will be officially announced and this will help bring further clarity. I also understand that things will be moving faster then they historically do (weeks not months in many cases) which frankly is a good thing.

Sincerely,
A friend in HQ

Really, thank you for sharing. It has helped cushion the blow. Great to hear decisions will come fast. This is best for all. They must have learned something from the last major (PC) cut three yrs ago.

 

[Anonymous]

Next week will come and go and it will be business as usual. I am calling BS on this post. There will be no significant changes for at least15 months. Time will tell who was correct. In the meantime, stop with the fear mongering.

How does the BS you called taste today?

 

[Anonymous]

Really, thank you for sharing. It has helped cushion the blow. Great to hear decisions will come fast. This is best for all. They must have learned something from the last major (PC) cut three yrs ago.

Yes--thank you OP.

 

[Anonymous]

OP here. You are welcome. I feel fortunate by the fact that I work in a department that is very transparent from the top down which is a rarity here at Merck. I have worked in those departments where no one says anything, you have no clarity, you wait and wonder, what is going to happen and when. I do hope that I was able to lessen the shock of this whole thing. This is significant with a lot of people's lives and families impacted and I wish everyone the very best. I can confirm that on Monday, October 7 the prioritization of the company will be officially announced and this will help bring further clarity. I also understand that things will be moving faster then they historically do (weeks not months in many cases) which frankly is a good thing.

Sincerely,
A friend in HQ

Dear friend,

Thank you for having the guts to break code of ugliness and secrecy by sharing the
Basic information. From field sales, we appreciate you!

 

[Anonymous]

I hereby nominate OP to the Executive Committee!!

 

[Anonymous]

I second that.

 

[Anonymous]

Expect a big announcement early next week. Significant downsizing in the 20-25% range globally. Additional information will come on therapeutic priorities from MRL, GHH, etc. other shake ups occur including senior leadership changes that are well overdue. Good luck to all of my friends and colleagues.

Signed,
A friend in HQ

More details. Most HSC teams to be released in waves by year end. Some divisions will rehire a few via Publicus. The only Merck HSC's to remain is the sleep-neuro team which currently has a small pre-market field team. RP wants them for insomnia & future Alzheimer's and acquisition neuro products. I directly overheard this at a live HSS meeting @ UG.》》canning MRL, managers, reps and our HSC's? Unsure how a contract company will do launching new compounds. Yes, we do have a few due out mid 2014. Blockbusters? No. New in class with $ potential? Yes. Lets hope this is true or the few left will also be dust in the wind...what a total mess.

 

[Anonymous]

Expect a big announcement early next week. Significant downsizing in the 20-25% range globally. Additional information will come on therapeutic priorities from MRL, GHH, etc. other shake ups occur including senior leadership changes that are well overdue. Good luck to all of my friends and colleagues.

Signed,
A friend in HQ

More details. Most HSC teams to be released in waves by year end. Some divisions will rehire a few via Publicus. The only Merck HSC's to remain is the sleep-neuro team which currently has a small pre-market field team. RP wants them for insomnia & future Alzheimer's and acquisition neuro products. I directly overheard this at a live HSS meeting @ UG.》》canning MRL, managers, reps and our HSC's? Unsure how a contract company will do launching new compounds. Yes, we do have a few due out mid 2014. Blockbusters? No. New in class with $ potential? Yes. Lets hope this is true or the few left will also be dust in the wind...what a total mess.

 

[Anonymous]

More details. Most HSC teams to be released in waves by year end. Some divisions will rehire a few via Publicus. The only Merck HSC's to remain is the sleep-neuro team which currently has a small pre-market field team. RP wants them for insomnia & future Alzheimer's and acquisition neuro products. I directly overheard this at a live HSS meeting @ UG.》》canning MRL, managers, reps and our HSC's? Unsure how a contract company will do launching new compounds. Yes, we do have a few due out mid 2014. Blockbusters? No. New in class with $ potential? Yes. Lets hope this is true or the few left will also be dust in the wind...what a total mess.

Really? Most hsc's I've known were pretty good and smart. With all the rep cuts over the years they were the last link keeping our big accounts n customers close to us. Wow, Merck is really in trouble. Insomnia? I thinkthere are only 15 hsc's in the US. Perlmutter expects 15 to create the market for a new class of sleep meds? They will need hundreds if not thousands of people to do this. And the severed non sleep hsa's? Great, now I have to compete with them for ex Merck pharma interviews. Heard many companies pick them over reps for sales rep jobs. The candidate pool just changed things. Time for me to exit pharma. Out.

 

[Anonymous]

To our HQ friend: how does this fit in with PC cuts already taking place on Oct. 7th? We've known about those for a month. We have been sent our manager notifications for the morning. Why do these small PC cuts first? Why not just have waited do it all at the same time since apparently there are more massive cuts to come in the field. Do we all hear about those on Oct. 7th as well?

 

[Anonymous]

Really? Most hsc's I've known were pretty good and smart. With all the rep cuts over the years they were the last link keeping our big accounts n customers close to us. Wow, Merck is really in trouble. Insomnia? I thinkthere are only 15 hsc's in the US. Perlmutter expects 15 to create the market for a new class of sleep meds? They will need hundreds if not thousands of people to do this. And the severed non sleep hsa's? Great, now I have to compete with them for ex Merck pharma interviews. Heard many companies pick them over reps for sales rep jobs. The candidate pool just changed things. Time for me to exit pharma. Out.

Spoken like a proud HSC....mine was not impressive...

 

[Anonymous]

To our HQ friend: how does this fit in with PC cuts already taking place on Oct. 7th? We've known about those for a month. We have been sent our manager notifications for the morning. Why do these small PC cuts first? Why not just have waited do it all at the same time since apparently there are more massive cuts to come in the field. Do we all hear about those on Oct. 7th as well?

Good questions--anyone at HQ know about this?

 

[Anonymous]

Just announced HQ is closing in Manhattan and a new facility in Jersey!! This is ridiculous!! I moved to Manhattan a number of years ago to be close to work!! Now I have commute 1.5 hours each way! F---ing Ridiculous!! Merck is a shipping sink!!

 

[Anonymous]

Just announced HQ is closing in Manhattan and a new facility in Jersey!! This is ridiculous!! I moved to Manhattan a number of years ago to be close to work!! Now I have commute 1.5 hours each way! F---ing Ridiculous!! Merck is a shipping sink!!

Don't worry your commute will come to end as abruptly as the decision to close the Manhattan office. On the other side you are poised to explore job opportunities in NYC and if you are clever it will not be in this industry.

 

[Anonymous]

Geez folks. Why all the shock?!!! You really didn't see this coming? Reps are like travel agents, stock brokers and Fuller Brushmen. It's overdue and you need to find another job. The "hire to retire" phrase is a joke anymore. What skills do reps really have? I'd be worried about what we are capable of doing in the "real world". Get experience with oncology and set yourself up for a future in this field. Pills like Juvisnyc/Liptruzet have no future. Either you come up with a cheap drug or one that's revolutionary. Otherwise that drug is doomed just like the company that thinks it will sell. Generic utilization/manage care are in the driver's seat. No rocket science here...

 

[Anonymous]

OP here. Unfortunately this site has turned into a place to make stuff up, provoke fear across the organization and trash people at all levels of the organization. I only wish that it was instead a place to provide the truth, the insight into what is really happening. Then again would it not be great to have to have senior management providing this transparency versus some message board that anyone can post to? With that said I have no further information on what is next. As I have said before I can only share rumors and speculation which does not do anyone any good. A few facts...tomorrow, friday october 4, hand raiser forms are going out in HQ marketing, all CBL's. On Monday we will learn more about MRL prioritization, field sales prioritization. Listen to what senior mangement is saying - pick up on their cues and don't be naive. Go back to what I said previously about Ford, Blackberry, etc. and the stories that the company has posted. Take care of yourself and take care of your families.

Sincerely,
A friend in HQ

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you Ken Freezer!

OP here. Unfortunately this site has turned into a place to make stuff up, provoke fear across the organization and trash people at all levels of the organization. I only wish that it was instead a place to provide the truth, the insight into what is really happening. Then again would it not be great to have to have senior management providing this transparency versus some message board that anyone can post to? With that said I have no further information on what is next. As I have said before I can only share rumors and speculation which does not do anyone any good. A few facts...tomorrow, friday october 4, hand raiser forms are going out in HQ marketing, all CBL's. On Monday we will learn more about MRL prioritization, field sales prioritization. Listen to what senior mangement is saying - pick up on their cues and don't be naive. Go back to what I said previously about Ford, Blackberry, etc. and the stories that the company has posted. Take care of yourself and take care of your families.

Sincerely,
A friend in HQ