Swiss pharmaceutical firms Novartis and Lonza separately deepened their push into so-called biosimilars, betting cheaper copies of name-brand drugs will make headway among cost-conscious governments.

Merck & Co, the second-largest US drugmaker, reported fourth-quarter profit that topped analyst estimates on higher sales of the Januvia diabetes drug. The company forecast 2012 earnings that matched estimates.

MERCK, set to buy rival Schering-Plough, said profit dropped less than analysts expected on savings from job cuts, boosting the shares in before-market trading.