During the quarter, sales in the Pharmaceutical segment grew 6% helped by strength in oncology and vaccines. Sales were negatively impacted by weakness in virology, loss of market exclusivity for certain products and foreign exchange.
Also see: Merck Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript
While higher sales of KEYTRUDA and GARDASIL helped fuel growth in oncology and vaccines, a significant drop in ZEPATIER sales due to tough competition and declining patient volumes hurt virology sales.
In Animal Health, sales increased 6%, driven by inline and newly launched products. The growth reflects higher sales of companion animal and livestock products.
The company expects full-year 2019 revenue to be $43.2 billion to $44.7 billion, including a negative impact from foreign exchange of around 1%. GAAP EPS is expected to be $3.97 to $4.12 while adjusted EPS is expected to be $4.57 to $4.72.