Merck & Co - total revenue 2006-2022

The revenue of Merck & Co. increased in 2022, rising from 48.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 to approximately 59.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. During 2021, Merck spun-off its women’s health, biosimilars and established brands businesses into a new publicly traded company named Organon & Co.

Revenues lifted by sales of cancer treatments

The majority of Merck’s revenue comes from its pharmaceutical segment, which includes human health and vaccine products. The company’s oncology franchise, which is dedicated to the study of cancer, generates the largest share of its pharmaceutical revenues. Sales of Keytruda, a drug used to fight cancer, were particularly strong over the last years – revenues increased by around 3.7 billion U.S. dollars between 2021 and 2022.

The importance of investing in innovation

Higher sales of vaccine products also contributed to the increase in Merck’s revenue in 2022, primarily driven by a strong grwoth in sales of Gardasil/Gardasil 9, which can help in the prevention of certain cancers. Developing commercially successful products, such as Keytruda and Gardasil, is essential if Merck & Co. want to compete in the industry. The company continues to recognize the importance of research and development and has annually invested around ten billion U.S. dollars in the search for innovative medicines over the last few years, and an record high of 13.5 billion dollars of R&D spending in 2022.