GAAP net sales for the 2008 third quarter totaled $ 4.6 billion , up 63 percent as compared to the third quarter of 2007 . Sales for the quarter benefited from the inclusion of net sales of products from OBS as well as a favorable impact from foreign exchange . Net sales of the global cholesterol joint venture , which include VYTORIN and ZETIA , totaled $ 1.1 billion in the 2008 third quarter , down 15 percent , with lower U.S. sales partly offset by growth in international markets . Schering-Plough does not record sales of its cholesterol joint venture with Merck as the venture is accounted for under the equity method . Including an adjustment of an assumed 50 percent of the global cholesterol joint venture net sales , Schering-Plough 's adjusted sales for the 2008 third quarter would have been $ 5.1 billion .