Merck & Co., Inc.
Company History
Merck History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1891 in Rahway, New Jersey
When was Merck founded?
Merck was founded in 1891 in Rahway, New Jersey by George Merck, making it 135 years old.
- Founded
- 1891
- Founding place
- Rahway, New Jersey
- Founders
- George Merck
- Headquarters today
- Rahway, New Jersey
- Milestones documented
- 14 (1891–2026)
- Current CEO
- Robert M. Davis
- Acquisitions
- 7
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1891 | American Subsidiary of E. Merck Established |
| 1917 | WWI Seizure Creates Independent American Corporation |
| 1953 | Merger with Sharp & Dohme Adds Vaccine Capability |
| 1981 | World's First Recombinant DNA Vaccine Hepatitis B |
| 1987 | Mevacor Approved First Commercially Available Statin |
| 2004 | Vioxx Withdrawal A Defining Moment in Drug Safety |
| 2006 | Gardasil Approved First HPV Cancer Prevention Vaccine |
| 2009 | Merger with Schering-Plough Creates Modern Merck |
| 2014 | Keytruda Approved The Beginning of the Immunotherapy Era |
| 2021 | Acceleron Pharma Acquired for $11.5 Billion Winrevair Pipeline |
| 2023 | Prometheus Biosciences Acquired for $10.8 Billion |
| 2024 | Winrevair Approved; Keytruda Reaches $29.5 Billion in Annual Sales |
| 2025 | Sales Reach $65.011B |
| 2026 | Cidara and Terns Deals Close; Lipfendra Approved |
- Where was Merck founded?
- Merck was founded in Rahway, New Jersey in 1891.
- Who founded Merck?
- Merck was founded by George Merck.
- When did Merck start?
- Merck was founded in 1891.
- How old is Merck?
- Merck is 135 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
George Merck, a grandson of Emanuel Merck of Germany's E. Merck, set up the American business in New York in 1891. After the U.S. entered World War I, the Alien Property Custodian seized the German family's 80% stake in 1917. The shares were sold to the public in 1919, and George Merck's family kept control of a now fully American company. His son, George W. Merck, built Merck's research labs in the 1930s and later said medicine is for the people, not for the profits, and the profits follow.
Founders
George Merck
Merck & Co. possesses one of the most historic, ancestral founding stories in the entire history of modern medicine, tracing its corporate lineage directly back to a localized, ancient German pharmacy in the 17th century. The foundational origins of the global leader trace back to 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck, an experienced pharmacist, acquired the 'Engel-Apotheke' (Angel Pharmacy). For over two centuries, the Merck family quietly operated this respected local pharmacy. The defining pivot into scientific industrial manufacturing occurred in 1827 under Emanuel Merck, who transitioned the traditional pharmacy into a heavily industrialized chemical factory, mass-producing high-purity alkaloids (like morphine and cocaine) for early medical research. The complex, uniquely American branch of the company (the modern Merck & Co.) was founded in 1891. George Merck, the 23-year-old grandson of Emanuel, was sent to New York City to establish an American subsidiary. His foundational key move was embracing the rapid, growth of the American medical market. However, the historic corporate rupture occurred during World War I. Because of anti-German sentiment, the United States government seized the American subsidiary under the Trading with the Enemy Act. In 1919, George Merck executed a strategic maneuver, buying back the American company from the US government, severing all historic ties to the original German parent company (which still exists today as the Merck KGaA). Operating independently, George W. Merck heavily pioneered life-saving investments in advanced vitamins, cortisone, and streptomycin, establishing the distinct, powerful American pharmaceutical empire that dominates today. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
American Subsidiary of E. Merck Established
George Merck establishes Merck & Co. As the U.S. Subsidiary of E. Merck of Darmstadt, Germany, initially focused on importing and distributing German-manufactured pharmaceutical and chemical products for the American market. The company establishes early manufacturing operations in Rahway, New Jersey, which remains the corporate headquarters more than 130 years later.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWWI Seizure Creates Independent American Corporation
The U.S. Government seizes Merck & Co.'s assets under the Trading with the Enemy Act following American entry into World War I, appointing an Alien Property Custodian to manage German-owned U.S. Businesses. In 1919, the American management team led by George Merck purchases the confiscated assets, permanently severing the corporate connection to E. Merck of Darmstadt and establishing Merck & Co. As an independent American pharmaceutical enterprise.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger with Sharp & Dohme Adds Vaccine Capability
Merck completes its merger with Sharp & Dohme, a Philadelphia-based pharmaceutical company with particular strength in vaccines and biological products. The combination substantially expands Merck's vaccine manufacturing and development capability, laying the organizational and scientific groundwork for the notable vaccine discovery program that Maurice Hilleman would lead over the following five decades.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWorld's First Recombinant DNA Vaccine Hepatitis B
Merck receives FDA approval for the world's first recombinant DNA vaccine the Merck Hepatitis B vaccine developed by Maurice Hilleman and his team using yeast-expressed recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen. The approval represents a landmark in both vaccinology and recombinant DNA technology and establishes Merck as the scientific leader in biologic vaccine development.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMevacor Approved First Commercially Available Statin
The FDA approves Lovastatin, marketed as Mevacor the first HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) to reach commercial availability anywhere in the world. The drug opens the era of statin therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention, a medical revolution that would eventually prevent millions of heart attacks and strokes globally and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in pharmaceutical revenue across the drug class.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVioxx Withdrawal A Defining Moment in Drug Safety
Merck voluntarily withdraws Vioxx (rofecoxib) from global markets after clinical trial data in the APPROVe colorectal polyp prevention study reveal that patients taking the drug have approximately double the risk of serious cardiovascular events compared with placebo. The withdrawal affecting a drug generating approximately $2.5 billion in annual sales at peak triggers more than 27,000 personal injury lawsuits ultimately settled for approximately $4.85 billion and becomes one of the most studied drug safety episodes in pharmaceutical history.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgGardasil Approved First HPV Cancer Prevention Vaccine
The FDA approves Gardasil, Merck's quadrivalent HPV vaccine, becoming the first vaccine approved to prevent cancer by targeting human papillomavirus strains responsible for most cervical cancers globally. The approval represents one of the most significant preventive medicine advances since the polio vaccine and establishes Merck's dominance in the HPV vaccine market, a position subsequently reinforced by the approval of nine-valent Gardasil 9 in 2014.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger with Schering-Plough Creates Modern Merck
Merck completes its $41.1 billion merger with Schering-Plough Corporation, acquiring key products including Remicade (shared commercialization rights), Nasonex, and the foundation of the immuno-oncology antibody program that would eventually produce Keytruda. The merger substantially expands Merck's scale, global commercial reach, and early-stage pipeline in immunology and oncology.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgKeytruda Approved The Beginning of the Immunotherapy Era
The FDA grants accelerated approval to Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for advanced melanoma in September 2014, making it the first PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to receive FDA clearance. The approval launches what will become the most commercially successful pharmaceutical franchise in industry history, with the drug ultimately achieving approval across more than 40 cancer indications globally.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcceleron Pharma Acquired for $11.5 Billion Winrevair Pipeline
Merck completes its acquisition of Acceleron Pharma for approximately $11.5 billion, securing sotatercept a first-in-class activin signaling inhibitor in Phase 3 development for pulmonary arterial hypertension. The acquisition proves value-creative: sotatercept is approved as Winrevair in March 2024 and achieves a strong commercial launch, with analysts projecting peak sales of $3 to $5 billion annually.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPrometheus Biosciences Acquired for $10.8 Billion
Merck acquires Prometheus Biosciences for approximately $10.8 billion, adding tulisokibart an anti-TL1A antibody that demonstrated remarkable Phase 2 remission rates in Crohn's disease that substantially exceeded existing biologic benchmarks. If Phase 3 data replicate the Phase 2 signal, tulisokibart could achieve peak annual sales of $5 billion or more and become a foundational asset in Merck's post-Keytruda revenue bridge.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWinrevair Approved; Keytruda Reaches $29.5 Billion in Annual Sales
FDA approval of Winrevair (sotatercept) for pulmonary arterial hypertension in March 2024 marks the launch of Merck's most important new commercial product in a decade. Simultaneously, Keytruda sales reach about US$29.5 billion, the most of any drug brand that year, while Merck's total sales reach about US$64.2 billion.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSales Reach $65.011B
Merck reported $65.011B in FY2025 worldwide sales, $18.254B in net income attributable to Merck, $31.7B in Keytruda/Keytruda Qlex sales, and about 75,000 employees.
Source: merck.comCidara and Terns Deals Close; Lipfendra Approved
Merck completed the roughly $9.2 billion Cidara Therapeutics acquisition in January 2026 and the roughly $6.7 billion Terns Pharmaceuticals acquisition in the second quarter, won FDA approval for once-daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor Lipfendra (enlicitide), and raised its 2026 sales outlook to $66.3 billion to $67.3 billion after Q2 sales grew 5% to $16.6 billion.
Source: merck.comMajor Acquisitions
Schering-Plough Corporation
2009Merck acquired Schering-Plough to diversify its pipeline beyond blockbuster drugs facing patent cliffs, gaining access to biologics manufacturing capabilities, the animal health franchise (now Merck Animal Health), and key products including Remicade and the cholesterol franchise.
Acceleron Pharma
2021Merck acquired Acceleron to gain sotatercept, a first-in-class treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The drug targets the underlying biology of PAH rather than just symptoms, representing a potential major shift in treating the disease.
Prometheus Biosciences
2023Merck acquired Prometheus to gain PRA023, a TL1A antibody for inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). TL1A is considered one of the most promising new targets in immunology.
Medco Containment Services
1993Merck acquired Medco Containment Services, a pharmacy benefit manager, for $6 billion in 1993 to link drug development with drug distribution and gain insight into prescribing patterns. Merck spun Medco off ten years later, in 2003, as Medco Health Solutions, which Express Scripts bought in 2012.
Verona Pharma
2025Added Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine), a first-in-class inhaled maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to Merck's cardiopulmonary portfolio alongside Winrevair.
Cidara Therapeutics
2026Added CD388, a late-stage long-acting drug-Fc conjugate designed to prevent influenza, expanding Merck's infectious-disease and vaccine-adjacent pipeline.
Terns Pharmaceuticals
2026Added TERN-701 (now MK-4208), an allosteric BCR-ABL inhibitor in development for chronic myeloid leukemia, expanding Merck's hematology pipeline.
Keep researching Merck
Merck Company History FAQ
What are the major historical eras in Merck & Co.'s development since 1891?
Merck's history spans key eras: the Chemical Importation and Rahway Founding (1891 to 1917), the Independence and MRL Research Era (1919 to 1950s under George W. Merck), the Golden Age of Cardiovascular and Vaccine Breakthroughs (1970s, 1990s under Roy Vagelos), the Vioxx Crisis and Schering-Plough Rebuilding (2000s under Clark), and the Keytruda Immunotherapy Revolution and Modern Diversification (2010s, 2020s under Frazier and Davis).
How did Merck pioneer the commercial mass production of penicillin in World War II?
In 1942, after receiving a small penicillin culture from Alexander Fleming, Merck scientists in Rahway perfected deep-tank submerged fermentation techniques. Merck produced the vast majority of all penicillin deployed by Allied medical corps on D-Day in 1944, saving hundreds of thousands of soldiers from wound infections.
Who was Dr. Maurice Hilleman and why is he called the greatest vaccinologist in history?
Dr. Maurice Hilleman (1919 to 2005) led Merck's virus and cell biology research for over 30 years, developing more than 40 human and animal vaccines (including measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, and meningitis). Hilleman's vaccines are credited with saving more than 100 million lives worldwide.
How did Merck discover the world's first commercial statin Mevacor in 1987?
In 1987, Merck received FDA approval for Mevacor (lovastatin), discovered by Merck biochemist Alfred Alberts from Aspergillus terreus fungi. Mevacor was the world's first cholesterol-lowering statin, transforming preventative cardiology and reducing heart attacks for millions worldwide.
What was the 2004 Vioxx withdrawal and how did Merck recover?
In September 2004, Merck voluntarily withdrew its blockbuster arthritis medication Vioxx (rofecoxib) after a clinical trial revealed increased risk of cardiovascular events with long-term use. Merck accepted full responsibility, completely overhauled its drug safety monitoring, defended individual lawsuits in court, and rebuilt its clinical research integrity.
How did Keytruda transform modern oncology following its 2014 FDA approval?
Keytruda was granted the FDA's first-ever 'Breakthrough Therapy' designation and approved in 2014 for advanced melanoma. It fundamentally proved that stimulating the patient's own immune system could eradicate advanced metastatic tumors, turning previously fatal cancers into manageable chronic conditions.
When did Merck spin off Organon & Co. and why was it executed?
In June 2021, Merck spun off Organon & Co. (encompassing women's health, biosimilars, and mature legacy brands) to streamline operations, allowing Merck to focus 100% of executive capital on innovative oncology, vaccines, and biopharma discoveries.
How did Merck celebrate its Rahway corporate headquarters modernization in 2023?
In 2023, Merck consolidated its global corporate headquarters back to its historic 126-acre campus in Rahway, New Jersey, opening advanced research laboratories and digital collaboration centers to support its biomedical workforce for the next century of drug discovery.
Why are there two different Merck pharmaceutical companies in the world?
The split stems from World War I. Merck originated in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668. In 1891, George Merck established an American affiliate in New York. When the United States entered WWI in 1917, the US government seized all German-owned assets under the Trading with the Enemy Act. George W. Merck recapitalized the American business as an entirely independent US company. Today, Merck & Co. (headquartered in Rahway, NJ) holds the trademark rights in the US and Canada, while Germany's Merck KGaA holds them across the rest of the world.
What was Maurice Hilleman's role in Merck's vaccine legacy?
Dr. Maurice Hilleman, who led Merck's virus and cell biology department from 1957 to 1984, is credited with saving more lives than any other medical scientist in the 20th century. Hilleman developed over 40 life-saving vaccines, including eight of the fourteen standard childhood vaccines: measles, mumps (isolated from his daughter Jeryl Lynn), rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, and meningitis.
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