Merck KGaA May Sell Its Consumer Health Business - Drug Discovery and Development

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, prepares strategic options for the Consumer Health business.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is preparing strategic options for its Consumer Health business, including a potential full or partial sale of the business as well as strategic partnerships.

“We have continued to transform Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, over the last years into a leading science and technology company. Thereby we regularly review our portfolio in the context of our innovation driven strategy. Healthcare largely focuses on its Biopharma pipeline,” said Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

“Our Consumer Health portfolio has been continuously enhanced over the past years. We have maintained a solid position in attractive markets, and demonstrated a pattern of profitable growth. We expect increasing internal constraints to fund the business to reach the required scale. Fully anticipating this, we are preparing strategic options,” said Belén Garijo, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO Healthcare.

Consumer Health is running a strong international business with a number of leading products in attractive Over-the-Counter (OTC) categories. The business focuses on consumer-centric solutions driven by global megatrends and achieved net sales of 860 million euro in 2016. With well-recognized and highly respected brands and products such as Bion, Femibion, Nasivin, Neurobion, and Seven Seas, Consumer Health has a diversified product portfolio and strong market positions both in developed and emerging markets.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has consistently shifted towards becoming a leading science and technology company. Key milestones such as the acquisitions of Sigma-Aldrich, AZ Electronic Materials and Millipore, the divestment of its Biosimilars business as well as the ongoing strategic portfolio shift within the Healthcare business sector have supported this strategy.

Recent approvals of Bavencio (Avelumab) in the area of immuno-oncology and Mavenclad (Cladribine tablets) for the treatment of highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) are examples of the company’s successful development of innovative medicines. The pipeline of other highly promising active ingredients in oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology remains very attractive.

Any possible proceeds from a potential transaction would be used to deliver on the company’s overall financial targets.

(Source: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany)