Merck - the Manufacturer of Propecia

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Merck was established in 1891 and discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The company has long prided itself in being one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies dedicated to research and development.

Merck makes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck believes that there is a huge deficient in the availability of drugs to poorer regions and do all they can to close that deficient. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service According to Merck; they seek to maintain high ethical standards and a culture that values honesty, integrity and transparency in all that they do.

According to Merck, developed countries with sophisticated approval, regulatory and distribution processes, concerns about access to medicines are often related to reimbursement, price, availability of competitive drugs, managed care, government policies and patient and physician choice. The best way to remove inefficiencies, control costs and improve the quality of health care is through competition and choice, the cornerstones of the free marketplace. The challenges to ensuring access to medicines, vaccines, and quality health care in the developing world are complex and require multifaceted approaches and solutions. Access to medicines in developing countries is often limited by inadequate health care infrastructure, lack of expertise and insufficient political will.

Merck works to discover, develop, manufacture, and market vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs, directly and through alliances with their partners. Their stated mission is to provide people with superior products and services by developing innovations and solutions that improve the quality of life. Merck was developed on the concept of making quality medicine available to everyone not matter what their social or economic status is.

Merck has approximately 61,500 employees and conducts research at ten major research centers worldwide. Merck manufactures products in 31 facilities, and operates in more than 140 countries.

According to Merck, their strategy for growth is based on breakthrough research both internally and externally through partnerships as well as demonstrating the value of their medicines to patients, payers, and providers. Worldwide sales in 2005 were $22 billion. They continue to invest heavily in research and development, with $3.8 billion in 2005 research and development spending.

Merck's product line includes a broad portfolio of highly innovative prescription products in important therapeutic areas. These include medicines to treat high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, osteoporosis, asthma, benign prostatic hyperplasia, arthritis, migraine, glaucoma, emesis, infectious diseases (antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agents), and vaccines to prevent childhood diseases and hepatitis A and B.