Matej Mikulic
Research expert covering health, pharma & medtech
Merck & Co. - Statistics & Facts
Today, Merck & Co. is an established top global player on the pharmaceutical market, generating over 60 billion U.S. dollars of revenue. The roots of Merck & Co., Inc. can be traced back to the 17th century: The company began as a purchased drug store in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668 under Jacob Friedrich Merck. In 1891, a subsidiary became active in the United States under the name Merck & Co. Since 1917, when it was confiscated by the U.S. during the World War, Merck & Co. is an independent U.S. American company.
Merck's focus areas
The company’s products range from vaccines and cancer drugs to animal health products. As a company, Merck & Co. has one of the highest numbers of approved drugs, spending significant amounts on research and development. Two of the company's best known products are targeting diabetes, a chronic disease that plagues society. Januvia (sitagliptin) is one of the best-selling diabetes drugs globally and is popular as it does not cause weight gain. The drug generated some 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2023. However, blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda is currently by far Merck's leading product.A global company
Merck & Co. is an international company, generating more than half of its revenues outside the United States. As one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, Merck & Co. had some 72,000 employees as of year-end 2023, spread over 100 countries. The company had total assets accounting for around 107 billion U.S. dollars in the same year.
