Thursday, November 05, 2009
IRELAND will play an evolved role in the newly expanded healthcare corporation Merck & Co Inc, which yesterday completed its merger with Schering-Plough Corporation.
The expanded group currently has more than 15 potential new therapeutic products in the late stages of development.
These will add to the group’s existing portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal and consumer health products.
Operations in many countries, including Ireland, will remain separate for some time, and the timing of the integration of operations will vary from market to market.
The new Merck & Co Inc will operate as MSD outside the US and Canada.
Ireland remains an integral part of the expanded global group.
Between them, Merck & Co and Schering-Plough have invested more than €2 billion in Ireland over the past 40 years.
The new combined MSD now employs more than 2,300 people in Ireland across six manufacturing sites, an animal health commercial operation and two sales, marketing and clinical research centres based in counties Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Tipperary and Wicklow.
Dr Neil Boyle, managing director of MSD’s human health division, said: "This is an exciting time for our company.
"Thanks to the talent and dedication of our scientists and employees, the company will offer an outstanding clinical development pipeline that will greatly increase our ability to deliver important new medicines to patients."
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