Merck

Merck & Company discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a range of products to improve human and animal health, directly and through its joint ventures. The Merck's products include therapeutic and preventive agents, generally sold by prescription, for the treatment of human disorders and animal health supplies. Merck & Co sells its products primarily to drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, clinics, government agencies and managed healthcare providers such as health maintenance organizations and other institutions.

Merck's product line includes a broad portfolio of highly innovative prescription products in important therapeutic areas. Human health products include medicines to help treat high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, elevated cholesterol levels, osteoporosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, arthritis, pain, migraine, glaucoma, gastrointestinal ulcers, emesis, antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral agents, and vaccines to help prevent childhood diseases, pneumonia and hepatitis A and B.

The Merck's late-stage pipeline candidates include novel vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV) and the pain associated with shingles, and RotaTeq, a vaccine for rotavirus-a highly contagious virus that is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children.

Merial is Merck's animal health business, which is a 50-50 joint venture with French-based firm Aventis SA. Merial is the world's largest animal health and poultry genetics company.

Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals is a joint venture between Merck & Company and Schering-Plough Corporation formed to develop and market in the US new prescription medicines in cholesterol management. The collaboration was expanded to include worldwide markets (excluding Japan).

Merck conducts research at 11 major research centers in the US, Europe, and Japan, manufactures