DARMSTADT, Germany, October 17, 2018 /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 
• €63 million investment in new packaging center is part of wider €1 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.

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"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 €63 million over the 2015-2018 period and is part of a wider €1 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 € 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 +41-795-000-137

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SOURCE Merck