Merck & Co. Buys Former Baxalta Plant From Shire

MADISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MSD Animal Health, known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada, today announced plans to purchase a new manufacturing facility in Krems an der Donau, Austria with the intention to expand its global vaccine manufacturing capacity. The facility, currently owned by Shire plc., was built in 2002 and will add to the company’s impressive global manufacturing capabilities.

“This new manufacturing site is ideally located in central Europe. It provides MSD Animal Health additional manufacturing resources and advanced technology platforms to meet the growing demand for our vaccine products that prevent disease and keep animals healthy while positioning us for strong long-term growth,” stated Joseph Morrissey, senior vice president, operations, MSD Animal Health.

“We are excited to expand our footprint to Krems,” stated Dr. Hans-Günther Dittrich, vice president, Europe, Russia, North Africa, Middle East region. “Krems is the home to several distinct universities, and a rich tradition as an economic center for bio-pharmaceuticals. It is a great opportunity for us to tap into the innovative science in the area.”

MSD Animal Health has a substantial global manufacturing footprint and is a leader in animal health vaccines with a range of global vaccines products for animal health diseases.

MSD Animal Health intends to immediately begin renovating the facility and expects to be ready for production in the coming years. Additional terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

About MSD Animal Health

For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of MSD. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, 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. 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 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).