Because innovation is such an abstract word, let us explain what we actually do and how you benefit from it. “Innovations are successfully implemented ideas that create value for our customers and quality of life for people.” (Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman of the Executive Board of Merck). Derived from Latin, the word innovation literally means “something newly created”. In common usage, it is applied to new ideas and discoveries. But what does this term mean to a global player such as Merck? And ultimately, who benefits from it?

Every year, Merck invests more than € 1 billion in – Who really benefits? That’s right – we invest more than € 1 billion a year so that our work will benefit as many people as possible. Our aim is to address the needs of society while creating the foundation for future business success. This is the only way for us to meet our aspirations of commanding long-term leadership positions in the pharmaceutical, chemical and life science sectors. We have full confidence in our employees, whose daily work and creativity are the drivers of our research and development activities. By acquiring companies and entering into partnerships and strategic alliances across industry and geographic boundaries, we are creating the best environment to continually expand our research capacities and our expertise.

When stings are a fact of life, using smart technologies makes sense. Challenges spur us on. We are constantly working to not only discover new active ingredients, but also to develop innovative approaches to make therapies more tolerable and reliable. Often, patients develop an aversion or even fear of having to give themselves an injection in order to take a medication. The consequences are compliance irregularities or even discontinuation of treatment. With the launch in 2009 of the first electronic injection device for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Merck achieved another milestone: RebiSmart™ for our successful drug Rebif®.