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Merck
is one of the oldest still operating chemical and pharmaceutical companies
in the world. Its roots go back to the year 1668, when F.J. Merck purchased
the Engel-Apotheke in Darmstadt. In 1827 E. Merck started with the large-scale
production of alkaloids, later with plant extracts and many other chemicals
in a standardized high quality. The sales increased very fast. The products
were exported in many countries, subsidiaries were founded throughout the
world. In 1889 Georg Merck, a grandson of E. Merck, took over the office
in New York and established Merck & Co. Ten years later he started
with the local production of chemicals in the US. After World War I, Merck
lost many of its foreign affiliates, among them Merck & Co in the USA.
They became an independent American firm and in the meantime they are the
largest pharmaceutical company in the world.
Both companies agreed that in general the
name "Merck" may be exclusively used in USA as well in Canada by Merck
& Co and in the rest of the world by E. Merck (since 1995: Merck KGaA).
Merck KGaA now has over 28,000 employees all over the world. It operates
in the pharmaceutical, laboratory, and speciality chemicals business sector.
Basic research fields in the pharmaceutical sector are the cardiovascular-,
central nervous system-, and endocrinological areas as well as immunology/oncology.
More information may be found in the homepage
of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany.
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