How science and innovation fuel our efforts to help combat a rare but potentially deadly disease
April 11, 2024
Share this article
Patients inspire us to pursue the best science in our inventions and everything we do. Every innovation has the potential to help build a healthier, more hopeful future for people everywhere — which means taking on some of today’s global health challenges, including Ebola.
Leading the effort to combat Zaire ebolavirus
Our company is a health care leader in the fight against Zaire ebolavirus. Along with external collaborators from all sectors, our scientists are at the forefront of the response to outbreaks of this potentially deadly disease as we continue to help address this global health challenge. Zaire ebolavirus has had a devastating impact on the world and has proved itself to be a potentially deadly and contagious disease, with a survival rate of 50%. While there are six identified Ebola virus species, the Zaire ebolavirus strain has been the leading cause of outbreaks over the last 20 years.
Global public health preparedness against future Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks requires advanced planning, system readiness for rapid deployment and collaboration and partnership between public and private entities around the world. Our partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health partners around the globe are a crucial component of our commitment to helping save and improve lives.
“We take Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks very seriously and act with the utmost urgency to support response efforts,” said Paul Scott, clinical director, clinical research vaccines. “Our teams are dedicated to supporting the frontline workers whose brave actions are critical in outbreak response.”
In 2021, we established an agreement with UNICEF to create the world’s first global Ebola Zaire stockpile, the result of breakthrough innovation and collaboration with four leading international health and humanitarian organizations across the world. The global stockpile offers a critical, rapid-response tool.
“It has been our honor to collaborate with WHO, Gavi, UNICEF, the U.S. government and many others in supporting outbreak preparedness and response efforts,” said Andrew (Drew) Otoo, PharmD, president of global vaccines from 2022-2025 and current regional president, MSD. “Through these collaborations, we demonstrate what’s possible when partners come together to pursue a common purpose for patients.”
This level of collaboration continues to be needed for Zaire ebolavirus and other diseases. We remain committed to working in collaboration with global and local health partners to support current and future outbreak response efforts.
Inspiring innovation through diversity and inclusion
We recognize the importance of embedding a culture of inclusion and belonging at every level of our company
February 1, 2024
Share this article
An inclusive workplace inspires innovation and is fundamental to our company’s success. Having an environment composed of people with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences also helps us better understand the unique needs of the customers, health care providers and patients we serve.
“With inclusion as a foundation, we’re able to ignite the spark of creativity that leads to innovation and extraordinary outcomes.”
Nicole Stovall Vice president, Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence
Below are some of the ways we celebrate our culture of empowerment, engagement and belonging:
01.
Supporting a disability-inclusive workforce
At our company, everyone should feel empowered to help deliver on our purpose of using the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. This includes our colleagues who live with disabilities.
Our Global Disability Inclusion Strategy Council recognizes and values the importance of a disability-inclusive workforce and offers resources to ensure people with disabilities — including physical, neurological, mental, rare or any other forms of disabilities — are included and prepared to succeed in all areas of our business.
Key programs and partnerships include:
capAbility in Action, a joint program launched with Accenture and run in partnership with workforce solutions company Rangam to attract, recruit and retain neurodivergent talent.
Valuable 500, a global partnership of 500 companies committed to accelerating disability inclusion through best practices such as digitally accessible technology, mental health awareness and more.
02.
Economic inclusion and small business development
Economic inclusion creates a competitive advantage for our company and positively impacts the global community.
We create economic opportunities by procuring products and services from an array of small businesses ranging in locations, ownership and specialties.
03.
Celebrating global diversity and inclusion
Since 2015, we’ve celebrated Global Diversity & Inclusion Experience Month in September to foster meaningful discussions and learning around diversity and inclusion, while highlighting our inclusive culture.
This monthlong celebration builds capabilities among our workforce and creates a platform for employees to speak up about their experiences.
04.
Employee business resource groups (EBRGs)
With more than 25,000 members across 10 groups, our EBRGs play a critical role in driving an inclusive culture and supporting employee career growth. Each EBRG is open to all employees and they reflect the communities in which we live and serve.
We know how important it is to get medicines to the people who need them and providing those medicines is at the center of what we do
January 24, 2024
Share this article
In 2012, MSD unexpectedly became the sole manufacturer of OncoTICE® in many countries around the world. Increasing global demand has outpaced our current maximum manufacturing capabilities. In recognition of the medical need for this product, MSD continues to operate at maximum production capacity. Due to the increasing global demand, MSD has been experiencing a supply shortage for OncoTICE.
In October 2020, we announced our plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina, U.S., to significantly expand our production capacity for OncoTICE. This investment reaffirms our longstanding commitment to producing this medicine, and all our medicines, for patients who need them.
If patients have questions regarding OncoTICE, they should speak with their physicians. Additional information related to the shortage, current allocation practices, and our efforts to increase supply, including construction of a new manufacturing site, is below.
FAQs: supply & availability of OncoTICE
What is the cause of the shortages and backorders for OncoTICE?
Since 2012, when MSD unexpectedly became the sole manufacturer of OncoTICE in many countries around the world, increasing global demand has outpaced our current maximum manufacturing capabilities. While the company has many years of experience producing OncoTICE, this medicine has a lengthy and inherently complex manufacturing process.
Prior to 2012, additional manufacturers supplied the U.S. market with OncoTICE, with MSD providing 30-40% of overall U.S. supply. As other manufacturers exited the U.S. market in 2012, MSD became the sole supplier to the U.S. and increased production of OncoTICE to the full extent of MSD’s current manufacturing capacity. These efforts enabled MSD to double supply of OncoTICE to the U.S. market despite being the only manufacturer, in recognition of the medical need for this product.
Can you provide an update on the new facility?
MSD is working to complete this project and meet patient needs in as timely a manner as possible. While this commitment is an important step in making sure that adequate supply of OncoTICE is available, completing construction, inspection, and regulatory approvals of a manufacturing facility may take approximately five to six years in total.
Construction is well underway, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the new facility is on track to the previously announced timeline and will be completed by late 2025 to late 2026. Supply will gradually increase over time following local market review and approvals.
Once this new facility is fully operational, we expect to triple our current manufacturing capacity of OncoTICE. We anticipate that this will meet the needs of physicians and their patients for the foreseeable future. The investment in this new manufacturing facility reaffirms MSD’s longstanding commitment to producing this medicine for patients.
Can you please describe how the allocation process works outside the U.S.?
MSD allocates available supply among markets based on historical demand patterns. This process is designed to proportionally allocate OncoTICE to minimize disruption to patient care as much as possible.
Where can I find more information about the availability of OncoTICE??
Patients:
Patients should reach out to their physician, as they are in the best position to answer questions about the availability of the medicine in their practice, and can inquire about the quantity and timing of product availability with their supplier.
Health care professionals:
Health care professionals with questions regarding allocation should contact their wholesaler or distributor.
Empowering others to speak up about HPV-related cancers
The impact of Gina’s diagnosis inspired her to help others prioritize their health
January 9, 2024
Share this article
After 20 years of normal cervical screenings,* Gina Esposito was confident her next routine screening wouldn’t be any different. So, when she was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical precancer at 47 years old, she was surprised.
“The sinking feeling I had when I received my diagnosis was intense because I wasn’t expecting it,” she said.
*A cervical screening, often referred to as a pap test or pap smear, looks for precancers or cell changes that might become cervical cancer if not treated appropriately.
The impact of HPV-related cancers and diseases
More than 80% of cervical cancers are associated with HPV. For most people, HPV clears on its own. But for those who don’t clear the virus, it could cause certain cancers and diseases.
After her diagnosis, Esposito underwent a procedure to remove the abnormal cells from her cervix. When a follow-up test showed that there were still some abnormal cells present, she consulted with a doctor and decided to get a hysterectomy.
At first, she felt embarrassed by her diagnosis. As she started to share her story, she noticed that others felt ashamed to speak about HPV-related cancers and diseases. She knew something had to change.
“I have a newfound responsibility to take the stigma away, to say ‘the shame has to go away,’ whether you’re a woman or a man,” Esposito said.
Throughout her experience, she says her daughter has been a source of strength.
“You don’t want your child to be without you or to experience the loss of a parent. You want to be around for all of their milestones and they want you around,” Esposito said. “So, she keeps me motivated because there’s an expectation that mom’s going to be around.”
“I try to be a positive disruptor in this space and normalize it so that people go for early screenings and routine screenings and that they get treatment if they need it.”
— Gina Esposito
The importance of routine care
In some ways, Esposito considers herself lucky. Her commitment to prioritizing routine care helped her catch her disease early.
“I’m so glad I took the time to go to my screening – it helped catch my disease early,” she said.
Esposito is working to ensure her daughter also prioritizes getting routine care and understands the value of prioritizing her health, especially as she approaches adulthood.
“She knows you need to own your own health because no one else is going to do it for you,” she said. Esposito encourages colleagues across our company to prioritize their health, too.
Esposito plans to continue helping men and women feel comfortable discussing HPV-related disease and get the preventative care they need.
“When I talk with others, I focus on what happened to me so they can use it as an example,” Esposito said. “I get people emailing me, texting me, going, ‘I’m going to make my appointment today.’ And if we can have one person that we get early, then my job is done.”
Harnessing innovative technology in drug discovery
MSD scientists explain how new technologies can accelerate the drug discovery process as we use the power of leading edge science to save and improve lives
November 16, 2023
Share this article
Our scientists are leveraging state-of-the-art capabilities to discover novel molecules that may lead to the medicines of tomorrow.
MSD Research Laboratories (MRL) scientists evaluate hundreds to thousands to up to billions of compounds to find a starting point for a new drug candidate. It all starts with identifying a target — usually a protein — that’s intrinsically associated with a particular disease and can be pharmacologically modulated. That’s where innovative tools like structure-based design, high-throughput screening and high-throughput experimentation, coupled with robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning can make a huge difference in progressing the work. And once a lead molecule is identified, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) as an emerging structural method can be used to understand and improve how a molecule interacts with the protein target.
Utilizing the latest technologies and diligent work by teams of highly skilled and experienced scientists can potentially accelerate the discovery of new medicines for patients in need.
“We have an incredibly creative, smart and hardworking workforce. It’s an absolute pleasure to be part of that and to have access to the resources necessary for making scientific breakthroughs.”
Staying positive with pulmonary arterial hypertension
From struggling to breathe to advocating for others, one woman with PAH shares her story
October 24, 2023
Share this article
A decade ago, Nola Martin was having trouble breathing, and she was gaining weight. She assumed it was simple: She started to focus on improving her diet and getting more exercise, but she wasn’t seeing results.
“Little did I know the situation was a lot more serious than that,” she said.
Martin was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and scleroderma. PAH is a disease of high blood pressure in the lungs. Her PAH was associated with scleroderma, a connective tissue disease that can affect the skin, blood vessels and organs and can cause PAH.
“I had two illnesses, and I had no idea what they were from. How did I get them? I was hearing all these terms I’d never heard of before.”
Nola Martin
Finding the right care
Martin said that the confusion and complexity of having two chronic diseases made the beginning of her journey the most challenging. Through her experience with PAH, she said she learned that “you must find a facility that is familiar with your disease.” She recommends the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as a great place to start learning about PAH.
While she knows her PAH is progressive, she chooses to stay positive.
“What I learned about advocating for myself with PAH is that no one is going to fight as hard for me as I will,” said Martin. “I know my body. I know when something is different, but I also know that my doctors are not mind readers. If I don’t share with them what is going on, including the smallest details, they can’t give me the proper treatment I need.”
Staying hopeful through connection
It’s important to Martin to connect with other PAH patients and educate people about the disease.
Since her diagnosis, she’s educated numerous people about PAH and scleroderma. She believes in the importance of raising awareness and telling her story. It’s sometimes hard for her to explain to people that even if she doesn’t appear sick, she may still be dealing with difficult symptoms.
“PAH has affected so much of my daily life — simple things like vacuuming, doing the laundry, taking a shower and going to the grocery store,” Martin said. “I encourage others to be understanding and avoid making assumptions about a person with PAH based on their outward appearance.”
She urges people to be supportive and listen when someone shares their story.
MSD’s legacy of antimicrobial innovation and action
Delivering on our commitment to fight infectious diseases for more than a century
October 12, 2023
Share this article
For more than 100 years, MSD has contributed to the discovery and development of novel medicines and vaccines to fight infectious diseases. With the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we’ve focused on stopping the increasing threat of AMR.
1930s
MSD Research Laboratories played a central role in the development of sulfas, the first synthetic antimicrobial.
1940s
In collaboration with Rutgers University, we developed streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. We also helped to develop one of the first methods for mass production of penicillin.
1950s & 1960s
We developed multiple novel methods to prevent infectious diseases, including pediatric vaccines.
1970s & 1980s
We received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for two vaccines, as well as three antibiotics that treat a variety of bacterial infections.
1990s & 2000s
MSD received U.S. FDA approval for two antifungals, as well as licenses for two vaccines.
2002
With resistance to antibiotics developing faster through people, animals and the environment, we launched one of the world’s largest and longest-running antimicrobial resistance surveillance studies. Called the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART), the program enables researchers to monitor and identify trends in the development of AMR.
2010s
We launched an Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Investigator Initiated Studies program, supporting investigator-based, peer-reviewed research supporting the implementation of AMS principles across the globe, with over 20% of studies occurring in low-and middle-income countries.
2016
We created the MSD Exploratory Science Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focusing on the earliest stages of research into the underlying biology of human disease.
2016-2017
We supported the first United Nations high-level meeting on AMR and subsequent political declaration in 2016, which set policy action on AMR in motion.
As a next step, we joined the newly founded AMR Industry Alliance – a network of over 100 pharmaceutical industry partners working to provide sustainable solutions to help curb antimicrobial resistance.
2020
MSD, along with a group of more than 20 leading biopharmaceutical companies, launched the AMR Action Fund to bring 2-4 new antibiotics to patients by the end of the decade.
2020s
Our staff have championed government actions to create supportive markets for antimicrobial innovation, including the PASTEUR Act in the U.S., inclusion of transferable exclusivity extensions in the EU pharmaceutical strategy, and other incentives around the world.
By collaborating with policymakers, MSD aims to improve appropriate antibiotic use globally.
Going forward
In recognition of our leadership in both human and animal health, MSD represents industry in the One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, which advocates for a One Health approach to help ensure antibiotics remain an important tool in improving and maintaining human and animal health.
Listen as specialists from MSD discuss what they’re most excited about in researching potential treatments for neurologic disorders
July 13, 2023
Share this article
Our scientists are revolutionizing how we discover and develop treatments to address unmet medical needs in a number of areas, including neuroscience.
“It’s sort of like the final frontier,” said Joe Herring, scientific AVP, clinical research, in our new podcast. “You’re going off into space to try to figure out how to do very difficult things.”
For more, listen in as Herring sits down with MSD clinical research team senior principal scientists Yuki Mukai and Ari Merola as well as business development director Paige Lacatena to explore today’s breakthroughs and challenges in the field of neuroscience.
MSD’s business development and licensing team explain how they identify new opportunities to strengthen our robust R&D pipeline
June 5, 2023
Share this article
It takes a special kind of talent to find and secure the right deals to keep us at the forefront of innovation. Leaders from our business development and licensing team sat down to discuss how their work is a key component to building and maintaining a strong pipeline.
Here’s what you need to know:
01.
Harnessing our legacy
Our reputation for using leading-edge science can make business development connections easier, explains Lizabeth Leveille, vice president, business development.
02.
The speed and determination to get it done
Elizabeth Naldi-Jacob, vice president, business development, knows that having a direct line of reporting to the top is what sets MSD apart as a potential partner.
03.
Balancing the internal and the external
We have a one pipeline mindset, and each asset receives the same focus and rigor whether it comes from inside our company or out, says Christopher Mortko, vice president, business development.
04.
Working hand-in-hand with our scientists
Grace Han McMahon, associate vice president, business development, explains why engaging our internal science leaders is crucial to making the right deals.
05.
What we’re interested in (and why it’s everything)
Our panelists discuss why we focus on five key areas — and when we’re willing to look beyond them.
Great partnerships begin with great conversation. Learn more about how discovery & development and licensing shape the future of MSD.
The Mectizan Donation Program is the longest-running, disease-specific drug donation program of its kind
May 25, 2022
Share this article
Our commitment: “as much as needed, for as long as needed…"
For centuries, river blindness — also known as onchocerciasis — plagued remote communities in Africa, Latin America and Yemen, and there was no answer to this affliction.
This all began to change in the mid-to-late 1970s when Dr. William Campbell of MSD Research Laboratories suggested the use of ivermectin (later named Mectizan) for river blindness in humans. Following the breakthrough lab work by Dr. Campbell, another MSD researcher, Dr. Mohammed Aziz, championed the clinical development of Mectizan. Dr. Aziz led the collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the early 1980s to design and implement field studies in West Africa that, ultimately, proved the effectiveness of the drug against river blindness.
In 1987, MSD committed to donate Mectizan – as much as needed, for as long as needed – with the goal to help eliminate river blindness.
MDP partners include: World Health Organization, the Task Force for Global Health, ministries of health, non-governmental development organizations, academic institutions and local communities in endemic communities.
A ground-breaking public-private partnership
In order to reach this goal, MSD leaders recognized that many organizations with unique skills would need to work together as a team. To enable this collaboration, MSD established the Mectizan Donation Program (MDP), a ground-breaking public-private partnership. Operating from the Atlanta-based Task Force for Global Health, the MDP coordinates technical and operational activities between MSD, WHO, endemic countries, and a range of public and private stakeholders.
Building on the successful implementation of the river blindness program, in 1998 MSD expanded its commitment to include donating Mectizan for another neglected tropical disease, lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, in African countries and Yemen where it co-exists with river blindness. For lymphatic filariasis, Mectizan is administered with albendazole, a drug donated by GSK.
In November 2017, in support of new WHO guidelines, MSD announced an expansion of the program to reach up to an additional 100 million people per year through 2025 as part of the global effort to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.
More than thirty years later, the results of the MDP speak for themselves. Several countries in Africa are making significant progress towards eliminating both diseases. In Latin America, four countries – Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala – have received WHO verification of river blindness elimination. Lymphatic filariasis has now been eliminated in Togo, Yemen and Malawi. Both river blindness and lymphatic filariasis are on WHO’s list of neglected tropical diseases targeted for elimination globally.
Pioneering a community-directed approach
Today, the MDP is the longest-running, disease-specific drug donation program of its kind and has been influential in the development of a number of other drug donation programs. And, the MDP’s community-directed strategy used to distribute Mectizan has enabled add-on health services to be introduced in remote communities where health services are limited. The program reaches more than 300 million people in the affected areas annually, with more than 4.4 billion treatments donated since 1987.
People in the communities are an integral part of the distribution process in 49 countries where Mectizan has been distributed.
According to Uche Amazigo, former director of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, “by engaging the people, the treatment coverage increased significantly.”
“This pioneering program has changed the face of global health over the past three decades,” said Yao Sodahlon, head of the MDP. “When I visit communities where Mectizan is donated, I can see how the program has helped alleviate suffering and allowed people to live better and healthier lives.”
What are river blindness and lymphatic filariasis?
River blindness (onchocerciasis)
River blindness is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide. Transmitted through the bite of black flies — which live and breed near fast-flowing streams and rivers — and can cause intense itching, permanent skin and eye lesions and, over time, blindness. It has historically been prevalent in remote rural areas of 36 countries (in Africa, Latin America, and in Yemen.)
Lymphatic filariasis (LF)
Also known as elephantiasis, LF results in disfiguring swelling in the limbs and genitals. Parasitic infection spread by mosquitoes and damages the human lymphatic system. More than 1.3 billion people are at risk, and 30 percent of those infected live in Africa.
35 years later, results of this program speak for themselves
More than 4.4 billion cumulative treatments
Donations to 49 countries
Through the efforts of a variety of partners, more than 4.4 billion treatments have been donated to 49 countries in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Mediterranean, Asia, and South Pacific. River blindness transmission has been interrupted – meaning no new cases have been identified – in four of the six affected countries in Latin America and regions in five African countries. The program reaches more than 300 million people annually.
Today, the MDP is the longest-running, disease-specific drug donation program of its kind.
“We are proud of the positive difference that the Mectizan Donation Program has made in the lives of so many people, their families and communities, and health care systems over the years. Together, with our alliance of partners, we will continue to support endemic countries in their commitment to eliminate these devastating diseases.”
Rob Davis, CEO and President, MSD
Explore our history of helping bring treatment to those afflicted by river blindness and elephantiasis
1978
Dr. William Campbell of MSD Research Laboratories suggests the use of Mectizan (ivermectin) against onchocerciasis (river blindness) in humans.
1981
The first human clinical trials begin in Dakar with the first patient receiving a single dose.
1987
MSD CEO Dr. Roy Vagelos announces the company’s commitment to donate Mectizan to treat river blindness — as much as needed, for as long as needed — the MDP is formed.
1988
The Mectizan Expert Committee meets for the first time to establish the strategy for distribution and the donation review process. Mectizan has been produced at the MSD plant in Haarlem, the Netherlands, since the beginning of the program.
1991
MSD, the MDP Secretariat and WHO establish the Non-Governmental Development Organization (NGDO) Coordination Group for Onchocerciasis Control. NGDOs play a critical role in Mectizan distribution through their work with ministries of health and local communities, expertise in program management, and financial support.
1993
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA), formed by the River Blindness Foundation and currently sponsored by The Carter Center, brings together the ministries of health of six countries in Latin America affected by onchocerciasis.
1995
WHO, the World Bank, international NGOs, and 19 African countries partner to create the African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), providing a structure for financial support and coordination of river blindness control efforts.
1998
MSD begins a partnership with GSK to expand the MDP to include the elimination of LF, commonly referred to as elephantiasis, in African countries and in Yemen.
MSD and the MDP celebrate the 100 millionth treatment in Uganda.
1999
The iconic river blindness statue, “Sightless Among Miracles” by sculptor R. T. Wallen, is dedicated at WHO headquarters in Switzerland. Identical statues are also found at The Carter Center (Georgia, USA), the World Bank (Washington, D.C., USA), the Royal Tropical Institute (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), MSD (New Jersey, USA) and Lions Club International Foundation (Illinois, USA).
2002
In Tanzania, MSD CEO Raymond
Gilmartin celebrates the 250 millionth
treatment distributed.
2008
The Pan American Health Organization passes a resolution calling for the interruption of transmission of river blindness in the Americas by the year 2012.
WHO confirms the potential for elimination of river blindness in some parts of Africa through current treatment strategies.
2010
MSD reaffirms its commitment to the MDP. MSD “will continue to [donate Mectizan] until river blindness becomes a disease of the past,” said MSD CEO Richard T. Clark.
2011
Colombia becomes the first country to apply for WHO certification for the elimination of onchocerciasis transmission after suspending treatment with Mectizan in 2007.
2012
MSD CEO Kenneth C. Frazier commemorates the 25th anniversary of the MDP at a celebratory event in London.
2013
WHO verifies that Colombia has eliminated onchocerciasis, thus becoming the first country in the world to achieve this goal.
2014
WHO verifies the elimination of onchocerciasis in Ecuador. Ecuador worked in partnership with the MDP and a number of other organizations and now becomes the second country in the world to be free of this disease.
2015
WHO verifies the elimination of onchocerciasis in Mexico, the third country in the world to be free of river blindness.
Dr. William C. Campbell, Ph.D., is jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of avermectin, which led to a treatment for river blindness. Dr. Campbell performed his Nobel Prize-winning work at MSD Research Laboratories in Rahway, N.J., where he worked from 1957 until his retirement in 1990.
2016
WHO verifies the elimination of onchocerciasis in Guatemala thanks to a partnership with the MDP and a number of other organizations. With this milestone, four of the six countries in the Americas historically at-risk for river blindness now have verified elimination of the disease.
2017
Togo becomes the first country in Africa recognized by WHO to have eliminated LF as a public health problem.
MSD announces an expansion of the MDP to reach up to an additional 100 million people per year through 2025 as part of the global effort to eliminate LF.
2019
WHO verifies the elimination of LF as a public health problem in Yemen. The Mectizan Expert Committee meets in Togo and presents the Ministry of Health with the Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Award.
2020
WHO verifies the elimination of LF as a public health problem in Malawi.
2021
MDP and MSD announce a $500,000 donation to strengthen laboratory capacity to support onchocerciasis elimination in Africa in partnership with WHO’s Collaborating Centre for Onchocerciasis Diagnostics at the College of Public Health, University of South Florida.
2022
MSD and MDP mark the 35th anniversary of the program.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA
This website of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).
No Duty to Update
The information contained in this website was current as of the date presented. The company assumes no duty to update the information to reflect subsequent developments. Consequently, the company will not update the information contained in the website and investors should not rely upon the information as current or accurate after the presentation date.
