Unlike its cholesterol-drug partner Merck
For the second quarter, Schering's profits more than doubled year over year on 13% growth in sales of its products. The sales growth doesn't include the 30% increase in sales of cholesterol-fighting drugs Vytorin and Zetia, which Schering accounts for under the equity method since it co-markets them with Merck.
The stellar increase in Vytorin and Zetia sales is definitely a good sign, given the falling sales of other major anti-cholesterol drugs, including Pfizer's
Schering also experienced strong demand for the anti-inflammatory arthritis-fighting drug Remicade, for which Johnson & Johnson
Meanwhile, in the earnings release, Schering said it's on track to complete the purchase of the Organon drug unit of Akzo Nobel
If Schering can increase the number of products it sells and continue to have double-digit sales growth, investors can expect to see steady stock-price increases. And sometimes, slow and steady wins the race.
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Fool contributor Brian Orelli, Ph.D., doesn't own shares of any company mentioned in this article. The Fool's disclosure policy is rock-solid.