PR96661

DARMSTADT, Germany, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

DARMSTADT, Germany, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Merck, a leading

science and technology company, announced that its Life Science business sector

has doubled its high-potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPI)

production capacity with the expansion of its facility in Verona, near Madison,

Wisconsin, USA. This new euro59 million, 70,000 square foot facility,

officially opened today, brings 50 new jobs to the area.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845670/Verona_expansion_image.jpg

"There is an increasing demand for HPAPIs due to their effectiveness against

cancer at lower doses and the trend towards more targeted therapeutics.

Lower-doses of these therapies reduce the negative side effects for patients

who are taking on this critical fight," said Dirk Lange, head of Life Science

Services, Life Science, at Merck. "Increasing capacity at our state-of-the-art

CDMO facility in Verona, Wisconsin will allow us to meet the need for these key

cancer treatment components."

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide[1]. HPAPIs are a critical

element of targeted therapies due to their extremely effective cell-killing

abilities at low doses, resulting in reduced side effects for patients. They

are used in novel cancer therapies, including antibody drug conjugates (ADCs),

which are changing the landscape of cancer treatments.

Merck has been developing multi-step, complex, and highly potent compounds for

more than 30 years and continues to be an industry leader in the development

and manufacture of these components. HPAPIs require specialized handling and

manufacturing facilities that protect the safety of employees and their

environment. Many potential life-saving treatments never make it to market in

part due to the specialized handling requirements. Merck's Verona, Wisconsin

site was the second facility in the world to be SafeBridge(R)-certified and the

company continues to meet these rigorous safety and containment requirements

necessary to this day. In fact, this expansion positions Merck as one of the

largest single-digit nanogram occupational exposure limit (OEL) CDMO providers

in the world. HPAPIs are measured with the most potent registering less than 10

nanograms per cubic meter. Single-digit nanogram HPAPIs require highly

specialized handling, which is reflected by the OEL designation.

In addition to HPAPI production, Merck also has extensive experience developing

and manufacturing ADCs. Being the first CDMO to manufacture commercially

approved ADC drugs in North America, the company recently launched new

technologies to advance ADC therapies. Its unique ChetoSensarTM technology

gives new promise to ADCs by alleviating solubility challenges, and Merck's new

DOLCORETM platform significantly reduces development and manufacturing time

required, increasing speed-to-market by up to a year, ultimately getting needed

therapies to patients quicker.

With more than 30 years of CDMO experience in the development and manufacturing

of HPAPIs, linkers and mAbs, Merck offers significant expertise in both

clinical and commercial manufacturing. The company also has extensive CDMO

experience in viral vector, lipids, LNP and mRNA manufacturing— from

pre-clinical to commercial — helping to streamline steps of drug development

and production with a single, highly experienced partner. Additionally,

BioReliance(R) contract testing services are integrated into the overall

Services offering to further streamline the development path.

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About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science,

healthcare and electronics. More than 60,000 employees work to make a positive

difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and

sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and

discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the

intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2021, Merck generated

sales of euro 19.7 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to

Merck's technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived

since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of

the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name

and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the

business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono

in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.

[1] "Global Cancer Facts & Figures 4th Edition,

https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/global-cancer-facts-and-figures/global-cancer-facts-and-figures-4th-edition.pdf

SOURCE  Merck

CONTACT: Rachel Bloom Baglin, Phone: +49 6151 72-44461