Merck to Expand US Biopharmaceutical R&D Facility to Advance Innovative Clinical Pipeline

Darmstadt, Germany (ots/PRNewswire) -

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Merck to Expand US Biopharmaceutical R&D Facility to Advance
Innovative Clinical Pipeline

- Merck investing $70 million in U.S. Research & Development Hub
- Expansion of R&D footprint to accelerate science and innovation in
Oncology, Immuno-oncology and Immunology globally

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a
$70 million investment to expand its state of the art research and
development (R&D) facility in Billerica, Massachusetts. The new
building will span 145,000 square feet, offering new laboratory and
collaborative working space to accommodate approximately 400 new and
current R&D employees focused on advancing science in oncology,
immuno-oncology and immunology.

"Our talented and passionate R&D teams based in Billerica have
been highly engaged in advancing a number of pipeline compounds,"
said Luciano Rossetti, Head of Global Research & Development at the
Biopharma business of Merck. "We continue to strengthen our
innovation footprint in both the U.S. and Darmstadt, Germany where
our global R&D headquarters are located, with the goal of delivering
transformational value to patients around the world."

With this latest project, Merck will have invested more than $150
million in infrastructure to advance biopharmaceutical R&D in the
state of Massachusetts in recent years, with more than 150 new jobs
added to its growing U.S. R&D Hub in Billerica since 2011. The town
of Billerica played a critical role in bringing this latest building
expansion project to fruition, working collaboratively with Company
officials to underscore the benefits of expanding the
state-of-the-art R&D facility.

"Merck's continued investment in Massachusetts is a testament to
the state's global leadership in life sciences," said Travis
McCready, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences
Center. "In working collaboratively with the town of Billerica, the
company's campus expansion over the past decade has not only helped
attract and retain top talent in the area, but more importantly,
contributed to improving the lives of people with serious medical
needs."

When construction is completed in 2021, the building will offer
wet labs, office space and a cafeteria for the campus. Consistent
with previous projects, the building will be constructed to the
highest environmental and employee wellness standards by seeking
LEED® and WELL certifications. LEED is a preeminent program for the
design, construction and operation of high-performance green
buildings. WELL is a building standard focused on enhancing people's
health and wellness through built environments.

The healthcare business of Merck employs approximately 3,500 R&D
professionals across four global R&D hubs: Darmstadt, Germany;
Boston, U.S.; Tokyo, Japan; and Beijing, China. Merck invests
approximately 20% of total sales in R&D discovery and development
each year.

Merck's U.S. presence is comprised of three businesses -
Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials - with nearly
10,000 employees working in R&D, manufacturing and corporate roles
across almost 60 sites country-wide. Within the state of
Massachusetts, more than 2,800 professionals work across 10
locations.

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About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across
healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 51,000
employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's
lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live.
From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways
to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence
of devices - Merck is everywhere. In 2017, Merck generated sales of
EUR 15.3 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been
key to Merck's technological and scientific advances. This is how
Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family
remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck
holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only
exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business
sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma
in life science, and EMD Performance Materials.

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ots Originaltext: Merck KGaA
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