One part, Merck KGaA, is still controlled by the founding family which continues to serve as the major and largest shareholder. The other part, Merck & Co., is a publicly traded corporation on Wall Street. This US subsidiary was expropriated in 1917 and has been an independent company ever since.
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company that was founded in 1668. The pharmacy was passed down through generations of the family, and in 1827 Heindrich Emanuel Merck expanded the apothecary to include chemical and research operations.
From these humble beginnings, the pharmaceuticals giant was born, eventually pioneering the manufacture of morphine, cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy). The pharmaceutical division includes generic and prescription products the latter being mainly focused on oncology, cardiology and more recently reproductive health following the acquisition of Serono in 2007.
In 1668 Freidrich Jacob Merck acquired the Angel Pharmacy in Darmstadt. Later in 1827, Heinrich Emmanuel Merci began industrial scale production of alkaloids, plant extracts and other chemical.
Currently, the Company diversifies its activities into four business divisions: Merck Serono; Consumer Health; Merck Millipore, and Performance Materials. Within the Merck Serono division, the Company focuses on therapeutic areas and prescription drugs of chemical and biotechnological origin.
Merck KGaA (Germany)
