News releases
Gov. Josh Shapiro joins Merck leadership for official ribbon-cutting ceremony
Merck’s $550 million regional investment reinforces ongoing commitment to U.S. R&D while strengthening its long-standing footprint in Pennsylvania
RAHWAY N.J., Oct. 14, 2026 – Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today inaugurated its state-of-the-art ADVANCE research facility on its West Point, Pennsylvania, campus, signaling a new chapter in global scientific discovery. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined Merck executive leadership, federal and state government officials and local community partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the pivotal expansion of the company’s premier research and development capabilities.
By integrating highly automated robotic systems and advanced digital AI capabilities, ADVANCE is designed to streamline the analysis of biological samples from Merck’s ongoing clinical development programs while supporting one of the broadest and most diverse pipelines in the company’s recent history.
“My Administration has made life sciences a key part of our economic development strategy here in Pennsylvania — and Merck’s major investment in Montgomery County is another major win for the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro. “We are proud to partner with Merck as they expand their operations in Montgomery County, advance cutting-edge research and manufacturing, and create new opportunities for thousands of Pennsylvanians. The life sciences industry is booming in Pennsylvania and I am committed to winning more investments like this and making sure our Commonwealth remains a national leader in innovation, medicine and manufacturing.”
The ribbon-cutting marks another significant milestone for the 400-acre West Point campus, Merck’s largest integrated research and human health manufacturing site. Since 1953, West Point site has been home to a series of important biopharmaceutical breakthroughs. The addition of the ADVANCE research facility ensures Pennsylvania remains a key driver of global scientific innovation.
“The ADVANCE facility represents the future of clinical development at Merck and underscores our continued commitment to addressing the needs of the patients we serve,” said Rob Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “This builds on our longstanding presence in Pennsylvania where we’re proud to invest in the people, communities and scientific capabilities that will help drive the next generation of medicines.”
A legacy of scientific progress in Pennsylvania
Merck originally acquired the West Point site as part of the landmark 1953 merger of Merck and Sharp & Dohme. Since then, Merck’s operations in Pennsylvania have grown substantially, transforming the West Point campus into a cornerstone of the company’s research efforts and global manufacturing supply chain. Today, the site is the largest employer in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and the seventh largest private employer in the state.
Merck has made significant capital investments to the West Point site totaling more than $15 billion over the past 35 years. As part of the company’s previously announced $70 billion commitment to domestic manufacturing and R&D, Merck is investing approximately $550 million in R&D facilities at ADVANCE and the nearby Spring House Innovation Park (SHIP).
The capital investments at West Point have continuously sustained an on-site workforce of approximately 800 contracting, engineering, and construction jobs during this time. Many of these capital projects have been designed in Pennsylvania and represent more than $1 billion in services provided by locally based architects.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster an inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).
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