As Merck (MRK) product sales shift, the drug maker is cutting 1,800 U.S. sales reps, mostly people who call on primary doctors who prescribe cardiovascular, respiratory, and diabetes medicines.
A Merck spokeswoman confirmed the move, which was disclosed to Merck employees on Thursday and is expected to be completed by early January 2018. But she declined to say how much money the drug maker expects to save. She also declined to say how many sales reps are employed in the U.S. overall. Globally, Merck currently employs about 69,000 people, including 26,500 in the U.S.
At the same time, however, the spokeswoman indicated the company plans to create 960 “new” sales positions that will form a chronic care team to focus on diabetes treatments, among other types of medicines. She added that these positions are also expected to be filled by early January.
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