11.05.2011

Flexibility in Bioprocessing

It was a most unusual road trip - Drivers on the highways of Europe were probably surprised to see the scaled-down equivalent of a bioprocessing production line rolling next to them last year. In 2010, Merck Millipore launched its Biosafety Tour, a travelling exhibition and technical seminar tour designed to provide customers with answers to their unmet biosafety challenges, directly at their facilities. more19.04.2011

Merck & Co. Commences Tender Offer for Inspire Pharmaceuticals

Merck & Co., known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced the commencement of the tender offer for all outstanding shares of Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  for $5.00 per share in cash without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. more12.04.2011

India's Sun Pharma, US Merck in Generics Joint Venture

U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co has formed a joint venture with India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd to develop and manufacture branded generic drugs for emerging markets, the two companies said on Monday. The companies did not disclose financial details of the deal. more17.02.2011

Merck said it had been unable to sell its Netherlands-based bioscience research unit Organon

United States drugs company Merck said on Wednesday it had been unable to sell its Netherlands-based bioscience research unit Organon, or find an alternative solution to avoid closing down the unit. Merck said in September it had postponed the closure of Organon's R&D activities in the Netherlands while it negotiated potential alternatives, including a sale, as it agreed to a last-ditch bid to save some of the 2,175 jobs at stake.
more02.12.2010

Merck Elevates Frazier to Succeed Clark as CEO

Merck & Co president Kenneth Frazier will succeed Richard Clark as the drugmaker's chief executive officer, effective Jan 1, the company said on Tuesday. Frazier's promotion has been expected after he was named to the role of president earlier this year. Clark, who in March turns 65, the mandatory company CEO retirement age, will continue as chairman. more24.09.2010

Merck Chemicals: New Material Research Center

With the opening of the new Material Research Center (MRC), German pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck is underscoring the importance of chemical research at its corporate headquarters in Darmstadt. The research and development center comprises two six-story buildings as well as a pilot plant with a cleanroom and offers 340 employees a modern working environment. more08.09.2010

Merck Sees Fast Ruling in Johnson and Johnson's Remicade Arbitration

Merck said an arbitration panel would look in late September at whether the company is entitled to overseas rights to Remicade and Simponi, Johnson & Johnson's important rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Merck has said it acquired those rights to the drugs with its $41 billion purchase of Schering-Plough Corp last November. In a regulatory filing, Merck said the arbitration involving blockbuster arthritis treatment Remicade and a potentially lucrative newer drug called Simponi would take place in New York and probably last no more than 12 business days. more02.09.2010

Merck Postpones Dutch Closures

U.S. drugmaker Merck postponed on Thursday the planned closures of some Dutch operations announced in July while it negotiates with executives and workers on potential alternatives. The last-minute deal averts a court hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday afternoon, at which employees of the Dutch unit, formerly called Organon, would have attempted to block the closures. more28.05.2010

Time For Action

The German advertising tagline "greed is good" is now outmoded as a basic principle of purchasing. A low purchase price does not mean that a product is actually inexpensive. Therefore the saying, "Those who buy cheap buy twice" often applies. As it would seem, this commonplace insight for consumer goods also applies in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Quality obviously does not always correlate with price. more29.03.2010

Germany Cuts Drug Industry's Pricing Power

Germany unveiled plans to cut patented drug prices on Friday, hitting shares in major drugmakers, the latest sign that indebted governments intend to bear down on runaway medical costs. more