Archives: Stories

Stories are post types used for marketing

Sustainability

Magic Johnson shares what makes him work harder

The basketball legend and businessman talked DE&I, HIV advocacy and leadership in an inspiring visit to our global headquarters

October 26, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

Magic Johnson at Merck

It was a full-circle moment for Dr. Yvonne Ukwu when she joined a recent fireside chat with sports legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson at Merck’s Rahway, New Jersey, headquarters.

Ukwu was one of many who packed the room as Johnson shared stories from both his career and personal life, ranging from being a leader on the court and an early HIV/AIDS activist to defying expectations with a pivot from basketball to business.

“I like when someone tells me no. It makes me work harder,” said Johnson. “They told me there’s no way at 6’9” that I could play point guard in college or the NBA. I did. My own teammates told me that I could not be a businessman. Here I am.”

"When someone tells me no, I want to prove to them that yes I can — and I just go to work.”

— Earvin "Magic" Johnson

His words hit home for Ukwu, an associate principal scientist at Merck. Her mother was our company’s regulatory liaison to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during the approval of our first HIV treatment in 1996, and today Ukwu works with our HIV team, following in her mom’s footsteps.

Magic Johnson and Dr. Yvonne Ukwu

“The messages he shared speak to both our company’s longstanding commitment to the HIV space and our support of diversity, equity and inclusion to create opportunities for physician women of color and other underrepresented people. In turn, this helps us better serve our patients and customers,” said Ukwu. “As a family physician who’s worked in various cities, I know how important it is to learn about and understand your patients and the community in order to provide appropriate and effective care.”

(Photo: Magic Johnson and Dr. Yvonne Ukwu)

Understanding your customers

Johnson, whose visit helped celebrate the culmination of our company-wide Global Diversity & Inclusion Experience Month, shared several key messages that spoke directly to our company’s purpose to save and improve lives.   

According to Johnson, being on the ground and understanding your customers is a key to success. It helps you identify the best ways to serve them, communicate with them and meet their needs.

“You don’t become a trusted brand and a trusted company if you don’t over deliver,” Johnson said. 

As an HIV activist, Johnson visits urban neighborhoods and listens to people’s questions and concerns and provides educational information about the virus. By sharing his story and openly discussing HIV, he also helps address the stigma often associated with it.

Investing in communities and building diverse teams

As chairman and CEO of SodexoMagic — Merck’s integrated facilities management partner — Johnson is committed to uplifting communities, advocating for equity, ensuring inclusion and being a force for change. Our company has worked with diverse suppliers like SodexoMagic for nearly 40 years.

“Sourcing products and services from diverse suppliers creates jobs and increases economic opportunities for underrepresented communities,” said Celeste Warren, VP of global diversity and inclusion. “To understand our diverse customers and to engage with them in pursuit of our work to help save and improve lives, we must have diverse perspectives at the table. That means embracing diversity within our own team and with our supplier partners.”

Inspiring and energizing the crowd

Magic Johnson

Johnson’s visit, which included many high-fives, chest bumps and selfies, and his messages energized and inspired the crowd. Some of our colleagues posted on their LinkedIn profiles:

“I’ve been a Lakers fan forever, an admirer of his consistent commitment to HIV awareness, and a student of his business acumen and success. Today he reiterated that diversity and inclusion is a business imperative that’s been critical to his success.”

  • Ainka Gonzalez
    Associate director, HIV marketing

Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson

“They call him Magic. Unforgettable close to our GD&I Experience Month at Merck….From the hardwood to the boardroom, ‘talent is never enough — the best performers are always the hardest workers.'”

  • Mike Diaz
    Senior specialist, omnichannel content capabilities

“Magic Johnson inspired everyone at Merck today! Sharing his message of hard work, determination, and achieving goals in the face of adversity.

Magic paved the way on so many business and cultural fronts in the world, he truly is a hero!”

  • Christina E. Mikhelashvili
    Senior specialist, clinical research
Magic Johnson

Innovation

Our Q3 2023 earnings report

October 26, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

article hero thumbnail

Merck’s (NYSE: MRK) Q3 2023 results reflect sustained growth, particularly in oncology and vaccines. Our company announced Q3 worldwide sales of $16.0 billion, an increase of 7% from Q3 2022. ​

“Our strong results this quarter reflect our talented team’s commitment to bringing forward important innovation and pursuing breakthroughs for all those who count on us,” said Rob Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “We continue to push the boundaries of science, making disciplined investments to augment our diverse pipeline and applying our expertise to accelerate potentially transformative treatments to address patient needs — including through our recently announced collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo. I am proud of our progress as we continue to execute at the highest level and work to generate strong and sustainable value, today and well into the future.” ​

Merck anticipates full-year 2023 worldwide sales to be between $59.7 billion and $60.2 billion.​

Take a look at the infographic below for more details on Q3 2023 results. 

Download infographic

Health awareness

Staying positive with pulmonary arterial hypertension

From struggling to breathe to advocating for others, one woman with PAH shares her story

October 24, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

article hero thumbnail
Assets / Buttons / UI / Play Button / Large clear hover

A decade ago, Nola Martin was having trouble breathing, and she was gaining weight. She assumed it was simple: She started to focus on improving her diet and getting more exercise, but she wasn’t seeing results.

“Little did I know the situation was a lot more serious than that,” she said.

Martin was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and scleroderma. PAH is a disease of high blood pressure in the lungs. Her PAH was associated with scleroderma, a connective tissue disease that can affect the skin, blood vessels and organs and can cause PAH.

“I had two illnesses, and I had no idea what they were from. How did I get them? I was hearing all these terms I’d never heard of before.”

  • Nola Martin

Finding the right care

Martin said that the confusion and complexity of having two chronic diseases made the beginning of her journey the most challenging. Through her experience with PAH, she said she learned that “you must find a facility that is familiar with your disease.” She recommends the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as a great place to start learning about PAH.

While she knows her PAH is progressive, she chooses to stay positive.

“What I learned about advocating for myself with PAH is that no one is going to fight as hard for me as I will,” said Martin. “I know my body. I know when something is different, but I also know that my doctors are not mind readers. If I don’t share with them what is going on, including the smallest details, they can’t give me the proper treatment I need.”

Staying hopeful through connection

It’s important to Martin to connect with other PAH patients and educate people about the disease.

Since her diagnosis, she’s educated numerous people about PAH and scleroderma. She believes in the importance of raising awareness and telling her story. It’s sometimes hard for her to explain to people that even if she doesn’t appear sick, she may still be dealing with difficult symptoms.

“PAH has affected so much of my daily life — simple things like vacuuming, doing the laundry, taking a shower and going to the grocery store,” Martin said. “I encourage others to be understanding and avoid making assumptions about a person with PAH based on their outward appearance.”

She urges people to be supportive and listen when someone shares their story.

Innovation

Merck’s legacy of antimicrobial innovation and action

Delivering on our commitment to fight infectious diseases for more than a century

October 12, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

article hero thumbnail

For more than 100 years, Merck has contributed to the discovery and development of novel medicines and vaccines to fight infectious diseases. With the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we’ve focused on stopping the increasing threat of AMR. 

1930s

Merck Research Laboratories played a central role in the development of sulfas, the first synthetic antimicrobial.

1940s

In collaboration with Rutgers University, we developed streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. We also helped to develop one of the first methods for mass production of penicillin.

1950s & 1960s

We developed multiple novel methods to prevent infectious diseases, including pediatric vaccines.

1970s & 1980s

We received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for two vaccines, as well as three antibiotics that treat a variety of bacterial infections.

1990s & 2000s

Merck received U.S. FDA approval for two antifungals, as well as licenses for two vaccines.​

2002

With resistance to antibiotics developing faster through people, animals and the environment, we launched one of the world’s largest and longest-running antimicrobial resistance surveillance studies. Called the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART), the program enables researchers to monitor and identify trends in the development of AMR.

2010s

We launched an Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Investigator Initiated Studies program, supporting investigator-based, peer-reviewed research supporting the implementation of AMS principles across the globe, with over 20% of studies occurring in low-and middle-income countries.

2016

We created the Merck Exploratory Science Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focusing on the earliest stages of research into the underlying biology of human disease.

2016-2017

We supported the first United Nations high-level meeting on AMR and subsequent political declaration in 2016, which set policy action on AMR in motion.

As a next step, we joined the newly founded AMR Industry Alliance – a network of over 100 pharmaceutical industry partners working to provide sustainable solutions to help curb antimicrobial resistance.

2020

Merck, along with a group of more than 20 leading biopharmaceutical companies, launched the AMR Action Fund to bring 2-4 new antibiotics to patients by the end of the decade.

2020s

Our staff have championed government actions to create supportive markets for antimicrobial innovation, including the PASTEUR Act in the U.S., inclusion of transferable exclusivity extensions in the EU pharmaceutical strategy, and other incentives around the world.

By collaborating with policymakers, Merck aims to improve appropriate antibiotic use globally.

Going forward

In recognition of our leadership in both human and animal health, Merck represents industry in the One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, which advocates for a One Health approach to help ensure antibiotics remain an important tool in improving and maintaining human and animal health.

Our people

Here for Good: A lifelong mission against HIV

A colleague transformed personal grief and tragedy into a lifelong mission to help persons living with HIV

October 12, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

article hero thumbnail
Assets / Buttons / UI / Play Button / Large clear hover

Richard Liu’s work in HIV began in 1988, and it’s continued to this day.

“At the time, many members of the community were not only scared and frightened about HIV, but many of them were suffering from either the disease itself or the discrimination and bias directed toward them,” Liu said. “For me, education and outreach was a way to feel empowered and to empower members of my community.”

He also experienced firsthand how devastating HIV could be, falling in love with a man he’d eventually lose to AIDS.

“I found my strength when I looked back and thought about all the situations that Scott and I faced, I learned I was stronger than I ever believed I was,” Liu said. “And I kind of knew after that I needed to do something more. My purpose at that time was loving and caring for him until the end, and I needed to find another purpose. And that purpose became fighting HIV.”

Liu followed that purpose into a role as one of Philadelphia’s youngest HIV program directors, focusing on promoting prevention, testing and care. His passion eventually brought him to Merck, where he is a member of our global marketing division assigned to the HIV franchise, leading the development of promotional content for health care providers.

article quote image

“I'm doing exactly what I've always wanted to do: be useful, be valuable and use what I can to fight HIV. And I've been given this incredible role at this company to do that.”

— Richard Liu

As a part of the Merck team, Liu, now happily married, has always felt he could bring his authentic self to work — and that feeling started during his interview with a recruiter. There were some moments in his personal history during his earlier work as an AIDS activist that he knew he’d have to explain.

“I wanted to disclose my arrest record because I thought it might come up in a background check,” Liu explained. “I was charged with obstruction of highway because I was participating in AIDS protests, so I wanted to be clear why I was arrested and given those charges.”

The instinct to be candid was a good one, he learned.  “When I was offered the job, I really felt like, wow, this company is willing to recognize my authentic self, including my activism.”

Liu’s estimation of Merck and our values — and the part he can play in the work we do for patients — hasn’t changed.

“I feel like my fight against HIV is perfectly aligned with our company’s commitment toward innovation and to persons living with HIV,” he said.

Health awareness

Acting early in cancer detection

Diagnosing cancer early, before it has spread, may potentially lead to better outcomes

October 12, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

Three senior-age men talking and laughing

Time is important with a cancer diagnosis. People with cancer may have the opportunity for better outcomes when the disease is detected early. And with increases in routine cancer screening, more cancer cases can be diagnosed before the disease has spread to other parts of the body.

“We’ve seen incredible progress in the fight against cancer in recent decades, driven by advances in early detection and the availability of new treatment options,” said Dr. Scot Ebbinghaus, vice president, oncology clinical research. “This progress makes me optimistic for a future where cancer is detected and treated as early as possible, giving patients the greatest chance to live cancer-free. We can’t rest now — I’m hopeful that we will continue to build on what we’ve learned about helping people with earlier stages of disease.”

But important work remains to continue to improve care and diagnose cancer early.

What is early-stage cancer?

After someone is diagnosed with cancer, doctors will try to figure out how much cancer is in the body and if their disease has spread — this process is called staging, which can help guide treatment decisions. Different cancer stages have different treatments and possible outcomes, and they’re associated with different odds of recurrence. 

Early-stage is a term that can be used to describe cancer that’s early in its growth, before it has spread to other parts of the body. However, each person’s experience with cancer is unique, and what doctors may define as early-stage can vary by the type of cancer.

When cancer is diagnosed, the goals of treatments are to slow, stop and possibly eliminate tumor growth.

Treatment may be more likely to be successful if it’s started before the cancer has spread, when surgery is a potential option. However, even after surgery, there is a risk that the cancer may spread to other parts of the body. Additional treatment may help lower that risk. In certain instances, other treatment options can be used before surgery (neoadjuvant) to help to reduce the size of the tumor, and/or after surgery (adjuvant) to lower the chance of the cancer from potentially coming back.

Detecting and treating cancer early may help reduce the risk of recurrence and increase the potential for survival.

Watch the video:

Health awareness

A physician committed to advancing pneumococcal disease research

Dr. Kristen Feemster and her team work to help address pneumococcal disease for people of all ages

October 11, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

article hero thumbnail

Before becoming an executive director of global medical affairs at Merck, Dr. Kristen Feemster practiced as a pediatric infectious disease physician. Early in her career, Feemster and her team cared for a 1-year-old patient suffering from pneumococcal meningitis. Sadly, the child succumbed to his illness. Feemster recalls the emotions she felt knowing her own son of about the same age could also be at risk.

“I could barely stay in the room to talk to the child’s parents. As a parent myself, seeing them go through such a devastating loss led me to ask why this happened and what could have prevented the outcome,” said Feemster.

“I was determined to do what I could to help protect people of all ages from pneumococcal disease and its impact.”

At Merck, Feemster and her team work to better understand and communicate the continued epidemiologic impact of pneumococcal disease across all stages of life.

“Knowing that pneumococcal disease remains a leading cause of illness and death globally, I’m inspired by the opportunity to help address challenging and emerging diseases,” she said.

While some factors, like age or underlying medical conditions, can increase the risk of contracting an infection, anyone can get pneumococcal disease.

Noninvasive pneumococcal disease, such as otitis media or pneumonia, are also important contributors to morbidity in children. Recent reports suggest IPD remains a concern and certain serotypes continue to emerge as prevalent causes of serious disease with sometimes life-threatening complications.

Feemster and her Merck colleagues remain committed to addressing pneumococcal disease in people of all ages.

“Too many people worldwide don’t have access to effective treatment and supportive care,” she said. “It’s important that we continue to improve surveillance capabilities and explore this bacterium with such a complex epidemiology. We’ve learned a great deal, but there’s so much left to understand and more that we can do.”

baby being examined by a doctor

Invasive pneumococcal disease can lead to a number of serious illnesses in children

Learn more
Innovation

Uniting research and manufacturing to help patients faster

The opening of our updated site in Ireland will increase collaboration and speed to market

October 5, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

article hero thumbnail
Assets / Buttons / UI / Play Button / Large clear hover

Great science requires collaboration. At Merck, scientists and engineers from across the company work together to achieve our purpose of using the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives.

And at our new state-of-the-art site in Dunboyne, Ireland, we’re bringing together our research and manufacturing teams for the first time to support stronger collaboration during the development and manufacturing of clinical supplies.

“At Dunboyne, we’ll see the power of teamwork between the teams, creating a model that becomes our new way of working,” said Sanat Chattopadhyay, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division. “This site offers the chance to harness the expertise of our exceptional manufacturing and research teams.”

Representatives from Merck meet with Leo Varadkar (center), the country’s prime minister — known as the taoiseach — and other Irish officials to celebrate the milestone.

Two facilities, one team

The two components of our Dunboyne site will play a pivotal role in our biologics pipeline. Combined, they represent our first single-use commercialization facility dedicated to manufacturing key biologics for clinical trials, product registration and launch. At the nearby manufacturing facility, teams design the process engineering necessary to produce biologics at a large scale.

The close collaboration of these teams will significantly increase our speed to market and ultimately quicken our ability to help patients.

"This integrated approach will use state-of-the-art scientific and technological innovations to get our medicines to people around the world who need them the most, faster than ever before.”

— Mike Kress

Senior vice president, chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories
Health awareness

Triple-negative breast cancer: risks, signs and symptoms, and diagnosis

Learn about this aggressive type of breast cancer, including risk factors, signs and symptoms

October 3, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

Three women sit on couch

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S. outside of skin cancers. It accounts for about 1 in 3 of all new cancers in people assigned female at birth each year, and about 1 in 8 females in the U.S. will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. There are many different types and subtypes of breast cancer that are defined by where in the breast they begin, how much they have grown or spread and how they behave. One of the more aggressive types is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

What’s triple-negative breast cancer?

While some people with breast cancer may test positive for three receptors, or proteins, that make cancer grow (estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, or overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, known as HER2), people with TNBC test negative for all three.

In the U.S. in 2023, an estimated 297,790 patients will be diagnosed with breast cancer

~10-15%

of people with breast cancer will be diagnosed with TNBC

TNBC characteristically has a high recurrence rate within the first five years after diagnosis.

Who’s at risk for triple-negative breast cancer?

Primary risk factors for TNBC include:

  • Race/ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black women are nearly two times as likely to have TNBC as non-Hispanic white women.
  • Age: TNBC is more common in women younger than 40.
  • Sex: People assigned female at birth are at higher risk for TNBC compared to people assigned male at birth.
  • Genetic mutations: Mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 are strongly associated with TNBC.

What are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer?

TNBC can have the same signs and symptoms as other common types of breast cancer.

Most breast cancers are detected before any symptoms appear through regular breast cancer screenings. The signs and symptoms of breast cancer differ from person to person, and some will never show symptoms.

However, some signs of breast cancer to watch out for include:

  • Swelling of all or part of a breast
  • Skin dimpling
  • Breast or nipple pain
  • Nipple retraction
  • Nipple or breast skin that’s red, dry, flaking or thickened
  • Nipple discharge
  • Swollen lymph nodes, under the arm or near the collar bone

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

If you’re experiencing symptoms, speak with your doctor, especially if you have a higher risk of having TNBC. Some screening tests include:

  • Mammogram: An X-ray of the breast that allows doctors to look for changes in breast tissue. Mammograms can often find breast cancer early when it’s easiest to treat.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI uses radio waves and strong magnets to make detailed pictures of the inside of the breast. Doctors use MRIs along with mammograms to screen people who are considered at high risk for breast cancer.
  • Ultrasound: An ultrasound uses sound waves and their echoes to make computer pictures of the inside of the breast. While not typically used as a routine screening test for breast cancer, an ultrasound can be useful for looking at some breast changes such as lumps – especially when they can be felt but not seen on a mammogram.
  • Biopsy: After a breast cancer diagnosis is made with a biopsy, a health care provider may determine whether a patient has TNBC with an assessment of cells from that biopsy, which are checked for estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors, to determine the cancer subtype.

How is triple-negative breast cancer staged?

Doctors use five stages to classify triple-negative breast cancer and inform next steps in your care plan:

Being diagnosed with TNBC can be scary. By speaking with your care team, you can better understand your options and the best path forward.

For more information and resources, visit UncoverTNBC.com.

Sustainability

Diversity and inclusion strengthen everything we do

From fostering an inclusive and supportive culture to working with diverse suppliers, diversity and inclusion are integral to helping us better serve patients

September 19, 2023

Share this article

.st0{fill:#00857C;}

diverse employees in a meeting

As Merck’s chief diversity officer, Celeste Warren strives to ensure that our policies and practices provide an equal opportunity for all so that our workforce reflects the diversity of the world.

“This enables us to better understand the needs of the patients, health care providers and customers we serve,” said Warren.

And that means embedding a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion at every level of the organization, a commitment that’s central to our business growth as well as to our employees’ well-being.

diverse employees talking in an office

While our strategic approach to building a diverse, inclusive and positive environment is part of the work we do every day, we also dedicate a full month to fostering meaningful discussions and learning. Making September Global Diversity & Inclusion (GD&I) Experience Month allows us to pause, reflect and celebrate all our important work and identify new opportunities for growth.

Prioritizing diversity and inclusion benefits employees and our business

Since our first GD&I Experience Month in 2015, we’ve made a lot of progress on our diversity and inclusion efforts in our workplace, including:

  • Strong membership growth across our 10 employee business resource groups (EBRGs), with approximately 21,500 employees who belong to EBRGs.
  • Launch of an internal Ally Resource Center to provide access to resources and educational materials to support each employee’s D&I learning journey.
  • Establishment of an internal Ally Ambassador Program to create a network of D&I leaders who provide resources, share knowledge and facilitate conversations to embed a culture of belonging, allyship for all, and psychological safety across our organization.
  • Development of an integrated disability inclusion strategy to create a disability-confident workplace culture where people with disabilities feel accepted, connected and can contribute to our purpose of using the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world.
Celeste Warren

“Building and enriching our diverse and inclusive environment involves everyone.”

  • Celeste Warren
    Vice president of global diversity and inclusion

“When every single employee embraces a welcoming mindset and can fully appreciate the experiences of others, then better discussions, decisions and outcomes will follow,” said Warren.

This approach also applies to how we do business, as we continue building momentum in a variety of priority areas, such as our work to:

“While we celebrate all we’ve accomplished and what makes us unique during GD&I Experience Month, we know we have more work to do,” said Warren. “We’ll continue to share best practices with other organizations, listen for new ideas, debate points of view and create environmental, cultural and business change to break down barriers and become better allies, role models, colleagues and citizens.”

Related links

related content image #1

Diversity, equity & inclusion

Our workforce represents the people we serve
related content image #2

Careers

Are you passionate about building a meaningful career? Come work with us!

related content image #3

Our culture and values

It all comes back to saving and improving lives.