Stories are post types used for marketing
Learn how our teams mobilized like never before to ensure we were ready to address a global need
August 24, 2022
From the earliest stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew we had a responsibility to mobilize and innovate to rise to the challenge of this unique moment.
By following recommended vaccination schedules, you can help protect yourself and loved ones from vaccine preventable diseases
August 8, 2022
Managing your health can be tough. In recent years, we’ve been reminded how our health is truly global. Even though we’re worlds apart, what affects one could affect all.
Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to help keep yourself and your family healthy. By staying up to date on recommended vaccinations, you can help prevent a variety of infectious diseases.
When you’re preparing for an appointment, here are a few suggestions:
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Create a list of questions to ask your doctor about your recommended vaccines. |
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Keep your doctor up to date on any changes to your child’s or your own health since the last visit. |
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Discuss any concerns about your child’s or your own health. |
MSD Research Laboratories scientist Paul Reichert works with the International Space Station to drive innovation
June 29, 2022
MSD Research Laboratories (MRL) is known for pushing the frontiers of science with its cutting-edge research. And MRL scientist Paul Reichert has taken that concept even further — to space!
Reichert was one of the first scientists in the pharmaceutical industry to propose studying protein crystallization under microgravity conditions, and his work continues today.
“We regularly use crystallization processes for our small molecule and small protein therapeutics. Our goal with these experiments is to identify crystallization processes for biologics for enhanced and simpler drug delivery,” explained Reichert.
Experimental conditions in microgravity are unique because without the force of Earth’s gravity, solutions have reduced convection currents, reduced sedimentation and reduced molecular motion, leading to higher-order crystals with higher purity and more uniform suspensions. Researchers have been able to apply this knowledge ‘on the ground’ by manipulating key variables to mimic those in microgravity, such as using rotational mixers to reduce sedimentation.
Paul Reichert (L) joins April Spinale and Raymond Polniak of the ISS National Laboratory, managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS), to inspect the experiment
The latest MRL experiment blasted off to the International Space Station in December with astronaut Marc Vande Hei completing the experiment designed to study the effects of purity, mixing, diffusion and temperature on crystallization. Simultaneously, back on Earth, a research team was doing a control experiment in a laboratory for comparison. Reichert is now working alongside other MRL scientists to analyze and compare the results of the experiment run in space against the ground experiment done under the same conditions with gravity.
Learn how one doctor turned his family connection to cancer into a career driven by scientific innovation
May 27, 2022
Advances in oncology research require a firm commitment to scientific investigation. Behind every innovation, there are countless researchers, doctors and clinicians who dedicate their lives to helping patients through scientific breakthroughs.
At MSD, Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president, oncology clinical research, is a senior leader who oversees cancer research. He’s also a practicing clinician, continuing to see patients — adding a human connection to his research.
For Lubiniecki, having a “one-on-one connection” with patients is important both personally and professionally, and helps to keep the patient experience at the forefront when designing clinical studies.
Dr. Lubiniecki’s drive to pursue a career in oncology was motivated by his family’s experience with cancer — watching his mother go through surgery and chemotherapy while he was in high school — and his own scientific curiosity. “The complexity of the molecular biology involved in cancer was very intriguing to me,” he said.
Dr. Lubiniecki and his team play a critical role in advancing MSD’s effort to help save and improve lives around the world through leading-edge science. With an ongoing connection to patients and his research firmly focused on the future, Dr. Lubiniecki is excited about where cancer care may go next.
The Mectizan Donation Program is the longest-running, disease-specific drug donation program of its kind
May 25, 2022
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.)
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.
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.
Dr. William Campbell of MSD Research Laboratories suggests the use of Mectizan (ivermectin) against onchocerciasis (river blindness) in humans.
The first human clinical trials begin in Dakar with the first patient receiving a single dose.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
In Tanzania, MSD CEO Raymond
Gilmartin celebrates the 250 millionth
treatment distributed.
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.
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.
Colombia becomes the first country to apply for WHO certification for the elimination of onchocerciasis transmission after suspending treatment with Mectizan in 2007.
MSD CEO Kenneth C. Frazier commemorates the 25th anniversary of the MDP at a celebratory event in London.
WHO verifies that Colombia has eliminated onchocerciasis, thus becoming the first country in the world to achieve this goal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WHO verifies the elimination of LF as a public health problem in Malawi.
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.
MSD and MDP mark the 35th anniversary of the program.
Meet the North Carolina-based manufacturing team that’s producing and packaging our oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine
March 4, 2022
From the earliest stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew we had a responsibility to rise to the challenge of this unique moment. That’s why our teams mobilized like never before to ensure we were ready to address a global need.
In late 2020, our manufacturing teams began utilizing our global supply network — including sites in nine countries across three continents — to start production of our investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine. This monumental effort made it possible for us to produce 10 million courses of therapy in 2021, with at least another 20 million on track for 2022.
A major part of that effort takes place in Wilson, North Carolina, where our colleagues are working tirelessly to carry out our mission and ensure supply during this crucial time.
“This is a perfect example of the company coming together as one team with a single goal,” said Francisco Toste, associate vice president, plant management at the Wilson site. “I am proud to work for our great company because of the impact that we make for patients around the world in helping them combat serious disease.”
Meet the team in Wilson behind this heroic effort:
The president of MSD Research Laboratories discusses how managing priorities is a key to scientific success
January 13, 2022
For Dean Li, knowing how to foster an environment of curiosity and cultivate the agility necessary to maximize unique moments is a key part of his job as president of MSD Research Laboratories.
“There are certain times when you see something in a clinical trial that reshapes how you think about a field. That’s an inflection point that may fundamentally change the course of how you think about medicine,” he said.
A translational scientist and cardiologist, Li joined our company in 2017 as head of translational medicine and discovery from the University of Utah, where he’d co-founded several biotechnology companies based upon research conducted in his laboratory. It’s an experience-rich background that gives unique insight into how to steer an organization’s exploratory efforts.
“When I look at a complex organization, I’m also coming from a startup world,” Li said. “You have to decide where you’re going to focus at the moment. There are going to be shifts of prioritization and resources, depending on the moment in time, and that’s where judgment comes in. Agility only works if you have a breadth of understanding. It’s about letting the data guide you.”
A major strategy of Li’s approach to future developments has been how we learn from failure and build upon successes.
“Much of our pipeline has been focusing on the immunology of cancer, and it turns out that is very similar to immunology related to neurosciences, to cardiovascular metabolism, to infectious disease and vaccines,” he said. “We’ve built this incredible machinery, which can provide opportunities for new and different ways to think about treating diseases, built on insights from this work on immunology of cancer.”
While Li has been focused on our product and technology pipelines, there’s another aspect that’s just as important to prioritize: the people pipeline — bringing the right new talent into our organization to enhance our work.
“Science and technologies are rapidly evolving, and it is important that we recruit people with the right expertise and experience to advance our capabilities,” Li said. “We need to merge that new talent with our deep experience. It’s trying to create the right stew with the right spices.”
For Li, getting that balance right is key to assuring we have the agility and breadth we need to serve patients today as well as tomorrow.
MSD CEO & President Rob Davis shares news with colleagues about our investigational COVID-19 medicine
December 23, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
Today, we announced the emergency use authorization of molnupiravir, our investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The action today taken by the FDA to authorize a pill for COVID-19 treatment that can be taken at home marks an important milestone in the pandemic. With this news, certain patients in the U.S. in consultation with their health care providers will soon be able to access this medicine, consistent with its authorized use.
As I reflect on the significance of this moment and the efforts that we have undertaken, united as one team, I am extremely proud of the innovation, hard work and commitment that we’ve demonstrated to bring this important medicine forward. Since the beginning, we committed to help fight the pandemic and protect global health by ensuring that any medicine or vaccine we developed for COVID-19 would be broadly available, and we have acted with urgency and diligence to do just that.
This is certainly a moment for reflection and recognition of the many milestones we achieved throughout this journey as a team, in partnership with Ridgeback, clinical trial investigators and participants, and others. We completed a successful clinical trial for an oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine; we scaled up manufacturing to produce more courses, sooner, than we ever had ever done before; and, we entered voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers and the Medicines Patent Pool to create rapid and equitable global access for this medicine in low- and middle-income countries.
It is amazing and rewarding to see what we can accomplish – together – with focus, agility and with patients at the center of our efforts. I want to thank our collaborators, and each and every one of you, for relentlessly working to bring yet another impactful medicine forward in service of our mission to save and improve lives.
This medicine has not been approved in the U.S., but has been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The authorized use of the product is described in the EUA and authorized labeling. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner.
Periodic Odyssey
November 8, 2021
Our passion for invention isn’t limited to the healthcare industry and the patients we serve; it drives us to inspire the next generation of inventors. So, we created a new approach to science-based learning.
Periodic Odyssey is a new world in Minecraft where students explore, search for and find elements from the periodic table and unlock the power of science with special in-game rewards.
Using the game’s traditional pickaxe and custom element-inspired skins, players will explore our completely unique, immersive Minecraft map to hunt for all naturally-occurring elements.
After bringing the elements back to the science lab, they’ll see the fruits of their labor, amassing the collection of found elements, unlocking sections of the lab by doing so, and being rewarded with special tools to help with their search as the rarer elements become more challenging to find. It all adds up to make screen time into learning time, and to spark inspiration in budding scientists.
This new map will be available in both Minecraft: Education Edition, for use in classrooms, and Minecraft, open to all players all over the world.
Our hope is that we can foster an interest in the sciences among young people that will lead to a future full of invention.
Association for Science Education (ASE)
Our executive chairman of the board and former CEO joins a list of legendary executives for his long record of leadership
October 27, 2021
Ken Frazier
Executive chairman of the board and former CEO of MSDThis bold and determined mindset complemented with strong leadership is what led Chief Executive magazine’s CEO of the Year Selection Committee to name Ken Frazier 2021 CEO of the Year.
By receiving this honor, Frazier joins a list of legendary executives, including Bill Gates, Brian Moynihan, Michael Dell and his fellow MSD CEO Roy Vagelos, among others.
Frazier was selected by an independent committee of distinguished peer CEOs, who recognize his leadership at MSD driving transformation and growth to help produce powerful results for patients, stakeholders and society.
In the fall 2021 issue of Chief Executive magazine, the feature “Inside Ken Frazier’s Long Game” tells the inspiring story of how a man from working-class Philadelphia made his way to become CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The article profiles Frazier’s transformational leadership inside and outside of our company, from refocusing the company on research to his years of commitment to racial equality and social justice issues.
“Ken is a remarkable leader with the vision and determination to do what’s right for society while delivering long-term value for shareholders. His leadership at a time when society needed him most has been exemplary,” said Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America and Chief Executive’s 2020 CEO of the Year.
Frazier speaks to the importance of research and development and how he made that his long-term focus during his time as CEO. He reiterates the value of seeking out the right scientific talent and creating an environment to enable breakthrough research and trusting that those discoveries will help make a difference in the world.
Ken Frazier
He touches on our company’s early COVID-19 efforts and what we’re doing now, as well as his efforts to address issues surrounding racial equality in the U.S., including signing on as co-chair of the OneTen coalition.
Chief Executive magazine honored Frazier on Oct. 26 at the CEO of the Year celebration in New York, alongside 2020 CEO of the Year winner Brian Moynihan.
“A great CEO delivers for shareholders and society. I couldn’t think of anyone who defines that more than Ken,” said Moynihan.
The event was followed by a panel where Frazier and Moynihan discussed lessons in leadership.
“I’ve had the privilege of leading a company that is led by very purpose-driven people,” said Frazier. “What I’ve learned is how important it is for companies to be purposeful and to think about the welfare of your people all the time. My job is to reinforce that every chance I get.”
When asked if he’s optimistic about the future, Frazier told the magazine, “I am optimistic. Because I believe all of us have agency. As long as we believe in what this country stands for, we can make a difference. It’s all about CEOs deciding that they are going to lead their companies in a way that not only creates a fair return for their shareholders but creates a fair return for our society.”
