Merck Inaugurates State-of-the-art Pharma Packaging Center in Darmstadt

Darmstadt, Germany (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Expansion of the pharma manufacturing site at Merck's headquarters
supports growth of current and future portfolio of pharma medicines
- New building dedicated to the packaging and shipping of Merck's
pharma medicines in more than 90 countries
- EUR63 million investment in new packaging center is part of wider
EUR1 billion investment up to 2020 transforming the Darmstadt site
into contemporary global headquarters

Merck, the vibrant science and technology company, inaugurated
today a new packaging center at its headquarters in Darmstadt,
Germany. The opening ceremony was attended by Stefan Oschmann,
Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck, as well as Stefan
Grüttner, Minister of Social Affairs and Integration for the German
Federal State of Hesse, and Jochen Partsch, Mayor of the City of
Darmstadt.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/770379/Merck_Pharma_Packa
ging_Center.jpg )

"Darmstadt is our prime hub for the manufacturing of medicines and
it plays a key role in our plans for future growth. This latest
investment in a new state-of-the-art packaging center reflects our
commitment to our headquarters and is a compelling example of how we
use the latest technological advances to always better serve our
patients," said Stefan Oschmann.

"The new production facility in Darmstadt is a gratifying
commitment to this location," said Stefan Grüttner. "That Merck is
continuing to invest in the place where the company was born 350
years ago and creating new jobs in the process is a good sign for the
region. With this investment, Merck is contributing substantially to
the great density of innovative and high-performing companies in
Hessen."

The new 15,000 square meters facility will be dedicated to the
packaging and shipping of Merck's current portfolio of pharma
medicines in more than 90 countries and help meet increasing patient
needs for flagship medicines Glucophage®, Concor® and Euthyrox® in
the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and thyroid disorders
respectively. It will also provide capacity for potential future
pharma products currently in clinical development such as evobrutinib
in the area of neurology-immunology or tepotinib in the area of
oncology.

With its eight fully automated packaging lines and robotized
logistics, the new packaging center will have the capacity to process
more than 210 million boxes of medicines every year. It is designed
to incorporate a broad range of new technologies such as the tracking
& tracing of medicines to prevent counterfeit, or smart packaging to
ensure more flexibility to adapt the production of medicines to
patient demand. The new packaging center is also designed to comply
with the highest international standards in terms of quality,
environment, health and safety.

The new pharma packaging center represents an investment of EUR63
million over the 2015-2018 period and is part of a wider EUR1 billion
investment up to 2020 transforming the Darmstadt site into
contemporary global headquarters.

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About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare,
life science and performance materials. Almost 53,000 employees work
to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from
biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis,
cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to
liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2017, Merck
generated sales of EUR 15.3 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and
chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of
the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to
the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States
and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma
and EMD Performance Materials.

Contact

Bénédicte Bogh [phone]

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ots Originaltext: Merck KGaA
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