Merck & Co., Inc. MRK

Company Overview

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products. The company operates primarily in the pharmaceutical and animal health industries, with research capabilities spanning oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiometabolic disorders, immunology, and veterinary medicine. Merck generates the majority of its revenue from branded pharmaceutical products, with oncology therapy Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine franchise serving as major revenue drivers according to recent SEC filings and company annual reports.

The company’s principal business lines include its Pharmaceutical segment and Animal Health segment. Merck serves hospitals, physicians, government agencies, wholesalers, distributors, and veterinary providers across developed and emerging markets. A significant strategic advantage has been its leadership in immuno-oncology through Keytruda, which has become one of the highest-selling prescription drugs globally. Merck traces its U.S. origins to 1891, when it was established as the American subsidiary of the German company Merck KGaA. The company evolved into an independent U.S.-based corporation after World War I and has since expanded through internal research and acquisitions, including the merger with Schering-Plough in 2009.