Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), dba Merck Sharp & Dohme, MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. The company was established in 1891 as the United States subsidiary of the German company now known as Merck KGaA. Merck & Co. was confiscated by the US government during World War I and subsequently established as an independent American company. It is currently one of the world's seven largest pharmaceutical companies by market capitalization and revenue.
 

The company describes itself as "a global research-driven pharmaceutical company" that "discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of innovative products to improve human and animal health, directly and through its joint ventures".
 

Merck also publishes The Merck Manuals, a series of medical reference books for physicians, nurses, and technicians. These include the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the world's best-selling medical textbook, and the Merck Index, a compendium of chemical compounds.
 

In 2011 the company received the "Facility of the Year"-Award for the integration of its global clinical supplies manufacturing, packing, and warehouse building in Summit, New Jersey, USA.
 

History

Merck & Co. traces its origins to Friedrich Jacob Merck, who purchased a drug store in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668, and also to Emanuel Merck, who took over the store several generations later in 1816. Emanuel and his successors gradually built up a chemical-pharmaceutical factory that produced raw materials for pharmaceutical and other preparations.
 

In 1891, George Merck emigrated to the United States and set up Merck & Co. in New York as the US arm of the family partnership, E. Merck (named for Emanuel Merck), which is now Merck KGaA. In keeping with a national wartime policy, Merck & Co. was confiscated in 1917 and re-established as an independent American company. Until the end of World War II, the company was led by George W. Merck. Merck & Co. hold the rights to the name in North America, while its former parent company retains the rights in the rest of the world.
 

In 1953, Merck merged with Philadelphia-based Sharp & Dohme, Inc., founded by Alpheus Phineas Sharp and Carl Friedrich Louis Dohme in 1845, becoming the largest US drugmaker.

The merger combined Merck's strength in scientific research and chemical manufacturing with Sharp & Dohme's sales and distribution system and its marketing expertise. The combined company kept the trade name Merck in the United States and Canada, and as Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) outside North America.
 

In 1965 Merck acquired Charles E. Frosst Ltd. of Montreal (founded 1899) and created Merck-Frosst Canada, Inc., as its Canadian subsidiary and pharmaceutical research facility. Merck closed this facility in July 2010,[5] and the company was renamed Merck Canada in 2011.
 

In 2005, CEO Raymond Gilmartin retired following Merck's voluntary worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx. Former president of manufacturing Richard Clark was named CEO and company president. Clark retired in October 2011 and Kenneth Frazier became CEO.
 

In November 2009, Merck announced that it would merge with competitor Schering-Plough in a US$41 billion deal. Although Merck was in reality acquiring Schering-Plough, the purchase was structured on paper as a "reverse merger", in which "Old" Merck was renamed Merck Sharpe & Dohme, and Schering-Plough renamed as "Merck & Co., Inc." so that it could, technically, continue as the surviving public corporation. The maneuver was an attempt to preserve Schering-Plough's rights to market Remicade, which was ultimately decided by arbitration. The merger was completed on 2009-11-04.
 

As of November 2009, the US Company has about 51,000 employees in 120 countries with 31 factories worldwide. It is one of the world's seven largest pharmaceutical companies, exceeding the size of its German ancestor, which employs 41,000 people in 67 countries, as of March 2011.
 

The Merck Company Foundation has distributed more than $480 million to educational and non-profit organizations since it was founded in 1957