Merck’s unwavering commitment to scientific excellence has long attracted the most talented scientists and researchers to our labs. Merck has a remarkable array of scientific talent engaged in the discovery and development of novel, differentiated drugs and vaccines that meet unmet medical needs.
In 2006, Merck continued to build on its research and development abilities by entering into strategic, targeted alliances and acquisitions with numerous partners in the larger scientific community, ranging from small biotechs to world–class academic research institutions.
These activities are designed to give Merck access to the cutting–edge scientific and technological knowledge that resides beyond our labs and that is also driving a true revolution in our understanding of disease and how to combat it.
An example of this strategy at work is Merck’s 2006 acquisition of Sirna Therapeutics, Inc., a San Francisco–based biotech company that has been at the forefront of efforts to create chemically modified RNAi–based therapeutics. RNAi technology can be used to develop medicines that can literally turn off a targeted gene in a human cell, potentially rendering inoperative a gene responsible for triggering a specific disease. Such medicines could significantly change how disease is treated.
Our acquisition of Sirna, along with our acquisition of two other leading biotech companies, Abmaxis, Inc., and GlycoFi, Inc., should complement our efforts to find new treatments in many of our therapeutic areas.
Each of Merck’s acquisitions and alliances will help us write new chapters in the Company’s long story of scientific achievement. By partnering our in–house abilities with the best talent outside Merck, we will be able to discover the next generation of novel, differentiated medicines faster and with a greater probability of success than ever before.
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