Merck History

The History of Merck

Friedrich Jacob Merck opened Merck KGaA, the parent company of Merck, in Germany in 1668. He purchased an apothecary and sold morphine, cocaine and codeine. The company became a manufacturer in 1827, when Heinrich Emmanuel Merck transformed the business and named it E. Merck. A U.S. sales office opened in 1887. George Merck, Heinrich’s grandson, was appointed head of the U.S. branch, called Merck & Co., which opened in 1891.

Merck & Co. sold the first commercially used smallpox vaccine in the United States in 1898. The next year, it published a guide for physicians and pharmacists known as The Merck Manual. The manual is translated in 17 languages today and is considered one of the most widely used

branch of Merck grew, the company established a manufacturing facility in Rahway, N.J., in 1902. E. Merck and Merck & Co. severed their relationship in 1917, a result of World War I.

In 1944, Merck’s researchers completed two major accomplishments, discovering streptomycin (an antibiotic to treat tuberculosis) while working with researchers at Rutgers University, and creating a cortisone synthesis to treat pain.

Merck agreed to a company changing merger with Philadelphia pharmacy Sharp & Dohme in 1953. The move enabled Merck to remain competitive and granted it access to Sharp & Dohme’s established clients. Together the companies became the largest U.S. manufacturer of prescription drugs at the time.

Vaccines were Merck’s next endeavor. In 1963, Merck manufactured the first measles vaccine, followed by the first mumps vaccine in 1967.

Other companies completed mergers that would later affect Merck. In 1971, the Schering Corporation merged with Plough; these later merged with Organon BioSciences; and all of them merged with Merck in 2009.

In 1979, Merck sold a high blood pressure drug called Enalapril, which was a success, with sales of $550 million. In 1988, Vasotec , to treat congestive heart failure), became Merck’s first drug to bring in a billion dollars in a