Merck

Commenting on Merck’s latest Irish investment, Mr Willie Deese, Executive Vice President and President of Merck Manufacturing Division, said the company’s decision to invest in Carlow represented an exciting new chapter in Merck “Our Carlow facility represents the future for Merck Sharp & Dohme and for public health around the globe. The vaccines and other products we will formulate in Carlow could ultimately be used by millions of people across the world which is a very exciting prospect. Despite challenging times globally, today illustrates that investment and enterprise is still very much alive and active.”

Merck & Co. Inc is a global healthcare company ranked no. 8 in the world for pharmaceutical sales. Merck is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs.

Sales for Merck Inc in 2008 amounted to $23.9 billion.  Net income was $7.8 billion compared to $3.3 billion for the same period in 2007. Merck employs 59, 800 people worldwide. R&D expenditure in Merck amounted to $4.8 billion in 2008.

i)    Merck, Sharp & Dohme (Ireland) Limited was established at in Co. Tipperary in 1976.  It is a large-scale plant producing active pharmaceutical ingredients for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing by Merck subsidiaries throughout the world excluding the U.S.  Current employment is 345.

In October 2006 a new project was approved involving the construction and equipping of a 200,000 sq ft facility at an estimated cost of a €100 million.  It will contain all the unit processes to manufacture final stage (Phase III) clinical trial solid dosage (tablets & capsules) for global clinical trials.  Construction is now nearing completion.

The facility will be used to manufacture launch quantities of newly approved drugs prior to their manufacture in long term supply sites.  It will also have a large R&D element involved in new process development (Process Analytical Technology and in-process measurement systems), tablet & capsule formulation development and the development of new analytical methods for each new medicine.

(ii)    Merck, Sharp & Dohme (Human Health) Limited was established in 2004 to act as the corporate platform for a number of new activities by Merck Ireland. It is located in Pelham House, South County Dublin Business Park, Leopardstown.

This new project includes the following areas of activity:

• Clinical Research whereby Ireland is an important base for parts of Merck’s global clinical trials
• Regulatory Affairs where the Irish group manages key parts of Merck’s new drug approval process
• Marketing where the Irish group has a role in the development of information material and the execution of training programmes aimed at Merck’s external partners in the healthcare sector (hospitals, clinics & doctors).

(iii)    Merck Sharp & Dohme Biologics (Ireland) Limited

Construction is now underway in Carlow town of a vaccine manufacturing sterile fill/finish facility.  This project represents an investment of €173 million and it will create 170 jobs. 

On March 9th 2009, Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough announced that their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive merger agreement under which Merck and Schering-Plough will combine, under the name Merck, in a stock and cash transaction, valued at $41.1 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q4 2009.

Announcement 2010

Establishment by MSD of EMEA Services Centre creating 150 new jobs

MSD, part of Merck & Co., Inc., has chosen Dublin as the hub for its newly established Shared Business Services Centre (SBS Centre) for its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations involving the creation of 150 high quality jobs.

Taking a clinical approach - The Friday Interview / Stefan Oschmann, Merck