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

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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.”

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

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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

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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

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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.

Innovation

Macrocyclic peptides: the next wave of drug discovery

Merck scientists say the “Goldilocks” chemical modality could lead to new ways to impact disease

September 14, 2023

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Small molecules, generally taken as pills, make up nearly 90% of medicines used today. It’s hard to think of a world without them. The use of small molecules has been critical in expanding the reach of and access to medicines around the world.

But it’s challenging for small molecules to impact the large featureless surfaces of protein-protein interactions, which govern a wide range of biological processes in our bodies. To target these interactions, scientists have turned to large molecule biologic therapies, like monoclonal antibodies, which — taken by infusion or injection — have been critical in advancing the treatment of many diseases, including some cancers and autoimmune disorders.

Over a decade ago, Merck scientists began investigating a way to engineer a new type of medicine combining the ease-of-administration of a small molecule with the potency and target specificity of an antibody.

Macrocyclic peptides have shown promise in achieving this balance.

“Macrocyclic peptides allow us to cast a wider net on the protein interactions we want to drug, providing a vast and untapped opportunity to access a wider range of targets and potentially new ways to treat different diseases,” said Dani Schultz, director of chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories.

Not too big, not too small: the “Goldilocks” modality

Macrocyclic peptides have been called the “Goldilocks” chemical modality because their intermediate size combines the favorable properties of both small molecules and biologics¹. And thanks to their unique ring shape, macrocyclic peptides can cover more surface area to potentially disrupt protein-protein interactions more so than traditional, linear-shaped peptide therapies.

“The design and invention of macrocyclic peptides is notoriously complicated,” said David Thaisrivongs, director of chemistry in Merck Research Laboratories.

“Similarly, scaling production up for a macrocyclic peptide small molecule, with four to five times the size and complexity of a typical small molecule, represented a bold endeavor.”

  • David Thaisrivongs
    Director of chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories

For Merck, this work started by screening large libraries of cyclic peptides using messenger RNA display technology. This led to the identification of cyclic peptide leads that were optimized using 3-dimensional protein structure-based design and advanced computational techniques. Further molecular iterations and refinements improved the absorption, potency, and stability of the first candidate.

“A diverse, interdisciplinary team of skilled and determined people from across our chemistry organization has dedicated substantial efforts to advancing this science,” said Thaisrivongs.

A peptide renaissance

These macrocyclic peptide discovery efforts may one day allow us to treat diseases that have long evaded traditional small molecule approaches or improve access to medicines previously available only as an injectable.

“Macrocyclic peptides are a new modality and we’re still in the early stages of understanding their potential to impact disease and patient care,” said Schultz.

“There’s no playbook here, we’re innovating and developing new techniques on how to optimize and synthesize macrocyclic peptides — it’s really thrilling for me as a scientist because the potential is huge.”

  • Dani Schultz
    Director of chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories
Dani Schultz

[1] Beyond 20 in the 21st century: strengths, opportunities, and challenges of non-canonical amino acids in peptide drug discovery. Jennifer L. Hickey; A Dan Sindhikara; B Susan L. Zultanski  and Danielle M. Schultz

Innovation

How we’re collaborating to address antimicrobial resistance – and why we can’t do it alone

Shared commitments like the AMR Action Fund are vital to make progress against this public health threat

September 8, 2023

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Antibiotics have transformed health care and saved countless lives. But rising levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can make current antibiotics less effective. There’s no simple solution to the complex problem of AMR, but we’re committed to investing our expertise and resources alongside our partners to get antibiotics to those who need them most. Lives are at risk, and the time to act is now.

Through this groundbreaking partnership of over 20 leading pharmaceutical companies, philanthropies and organizations, we aim to bridge the gap between the innovative early antibiotic pipeline and patients. True to our legacy of preventing and treating infectious diseases, we’re proud of our commitment to invest $100 million over 10 years in the AMR Action Fund. The fund’s collective goal is to bring two to four novel antibiotics to patients and physicians by 2030.

As of early 2023, the AMR Action Fund has invested in five small biotech companies advancing research for new medicines to fight some of the most dangerous bacteria as determined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

Here are five reasons collaborative efforts are key to addressing AMR:

01.


New antibiotics are urgently needed; however, there are relatively few in development.

The future of antibiotic innovation is at serious risk. Major scientific, regulatory and economic challenges discourage innovation in antibiotics, resulting in a decline in the number of companies conducting antimicrobial R&D. Recognizing there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem, our company and others have suggested a series of policy reforms across several regions of the world. However, time is running out. We need collaboration from policymakers to help antibiotic innovation flourish for decades to come.

02.

Once new antibiotics are approved, they need to be used responsibly.

At Merck, we’re making significant investments to support antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), a broad term for the implementation of evidence-based policies to slow resistance to current antimicrobials. Our investments and partnerships help hospitals around the world develop and implement patient-centered AMS programs that are customized locally based on factors like epidemiology, clinical setting and resource availability to support the responsible prescribing and use of antimicrobials. We also provide significant grant funding to support a wide range of AMS initiatives and collaborations.

Some of our global contributions to AMS include:

  • Supporting the development of several AMS Centers of Excellence throughout the world.
  • Helping public health leaders effectively monitor and address emerging AMR infections, promote AMS and customize accepted AMS strategies to meet local needs.
  • Providing significant grant-funding for numerous investigator-initiated AMS research projects.

03.

Tracking resistance trends and using data to help doctors prescribe the right medicines remains critical.

Our company has been tracking global resistance trends for over 20 years. This data helps doctors prescribe the right medicines. One of the largest and longest-running AMR surveillance programs, our Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) program has collected nearly 500,000 Gram-Negative bacterial isolates from around 220 sites in more than 60 countries since 2002.

We’re also a partner of the AMR Register, a first-ever online platform that allows pharmaceutical companies to securely share data on infection-causing pathogens with researchers, national governments and multilateral organizations working to fight AMR.

04.

AMR extends beyond human health.

The challenge of AMR is multifaceted, and a One Health approach to creating policies is critical to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment.

When it comes to animal health, vaccines can help minimize the need for antibiotics. Merck Animal Health is one of the largest manufacturers of animal health vaccines, supplying over 102 billion doses each year.

Protecting the environment through responsible manufacturing is another key component of the One Health approach. We work with our partners in the AMR Industry Alliance to inform science-based manufacturing standards to help ensure scrutiny of industry manufacturing supply chains.

05.

The time to act against AMR is now.

With collaboration across the scientific community and policymakers, AMR is preventable.

We all have a role to play as we prepare for the next health crisis. We must act now to put measures in place to ensure we have the antibiotics we need.

“AMR is not a future problem — it’s here now, threatening human, animal and environmental health as we know it. We must take swift, collaborative action to help reduce the risk of AMR before it’s too late,” said Jennifer Zachary, executive vice president and general counsel at Merck and member of the Global Leaders Group on AMR.

To learn more about the investments that the AMR Action Fund is making to help ensure patients and physicians have access to effective antimicrobials –- now and in the future –- please visit their website.

Patients

Progress in ovarian cancer research starts with patients

Reflecting on the history of clinical research and our inspiration to continue innovating for ovarian cancer patients

August 24, 2023

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A history of groundbreaking research

More than sixty years ago, in 1958, British chemist and X-ray crystallographer Dr. Rosalind Franklin died following a two-year fight with ovarian cancer. She was only 37 years old. Her pioneering research provided the key to deciphering the structure and function of DNA — and ultimately the blueprint for life.

In 1962 her collaborators, James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their “discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material.” Dr. Franklin’s untimely death denied her the acclaim of this prestigious scientific award (the Nobel Committee does not award the prize posthumously), but her role in this fundamental discovery has been well-documented and is now widely recognized.

Dr. Franklin’s story of a life cut short by ovarian cancer remains all too common. In the U.S., ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.

Even today, advanced ovarian cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat.

Only about one-third of patients with metastatic ovarian cancer survive five years after diagnosis. By contrast, when the cancer is caught early, the odds of surviving at least five years after diagnosis are much better. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of women are diagnosed at an early stage.

Group of women talking

It is estimated that:

  • In 2023, 19,710 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and about 13,270 will die from the disease.
  • About half of all women in the U.S. who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are 63 years or older.

Ovarian cancer more often causes signs and symptoms when the disease has spread, but can also cause nonspecific signs and symptoms in the early stages. Ovarian cancer is generally diagnosed after it has spread to other parts of the body.

The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

  • Bloating
  • Pelvic pain
  • Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
  • Always feeling like you have to urinate, or having to urinate often
Women sitting at table talking

These symptoms are also commonly caused by non-cancerous diseases and by other cancers. When they are caused by ovarian cancer, they tend to be persistent and a change from normal.

Helping advance ovarian cancer research

There remains a reason for optimism. The pace of change in cancer treatment has increased dramatically in recent years. Advances in research have given us a deeper understanding of how to target the disease, paving the way for new developments.

At Merck, we’re focused on translating breakthrough science into oncology therapeutics. We recognize that no two patients or cancers are the same, and multiple approaches — therapeutic regimens and mechanisms of action — will be needed to outpace this disease. That’s why we have worked rigorously to expand and diversify our own internal research programs.

There’s still work to be done, but we believe strongly in our potential to transform the way certain cancers are treated. And, we’re constantly inspired to work harder by stories like Dr. Rosalind Franklin’s.

Innovation

Our Q2 2023 earnings report

August 1, 2023

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Merck’s (NYSE: MRK) Q2 2023 results reflect sustained underlying growth. Our company announced Q2 worldwide sales of $15.0 billion, an increase of 3% from Q2 2022.

“We continue to make great progress as we advance our broad and deep pipeline, raise the bar of innovation, and bring forward leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world,” said Rob Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “We delivered robust underlying growth during the second quarter and are well positioned to achieve strong full-year results. I am proud of our talented, diverse and dedicated global team that continues to focus on creating value for patients and all our stakeholders now and well into the future.”

Merck anticipates full-year 2023 worldwide sales to be between $58.6 billion and $59.6 billion. Take a look at the infographic below for more details on Q2 2023 results.

Download infographic

Merck Q2 2023 earnings infographic
Innovation

Podcast: Why neuroscience is the ‘final frontier’

Listen as specialists from Merck discuss what they’re most excited about in researching potential treatments for neurologic disorders

July 11, 2023

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Our scientists are revolutionizing how we discover and develop treatments to address unmet medical needs in a number of areas, including neuroscience.

“It’s sort of like the final frontier,” said Joe Herring, scientific AVP, clinical research, in our new podcast. “You’re going off into space to try to figure out how to do very difficult things.”

For more, listen in as Herring sits down with Merck clinical research team senior principal scientists Yuki Mukai and Ari Merola as well as business development director Paige Lacatena to explore today’s breakthroughs and challenges in the field of neuroscience.

Listen to the podcast

Read the full transcript

Explore careers in R&D at Merck

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Careers

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Our people

Podcast: Meet the dealmakers 

Merck’s business development and licensing team explain how they identify new opportunities to strengthen our robust R&D pipeline  

June 1, 2023

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It takes a special kind of talent to find and secure the right deals to keep us at the forefront of innovation. Leaders from our business development and licensing team sat down to discuss how their work is a key component to building and maintaining a strong pipeline.  

Here’s what you need to know:  

01.

Harnessing our legacy

Our reputation for using leading-edge science can make business development connections easier, explains Lizabeth Leveille, vice president, business development.

02.

The speed and determination to get it done

Elizabeth Naldi-Jacob, vice president, business development, knows that having a direct line of reporting to the top is what sets Merck apart as a potential partner. 

03.

Balancing the internal and the external  

We have a one pipeline mindset, and each asset receives the same focus and rigor whether it comes from inside our company or out, says Christopher Mortko, vice president, business development. 

04.

Working hand-in-hand with our scientists  

Grace Han McMahon, associate vice president, business development, explains why engaging our internal science leaders is crucial to making the right deals. 

05.

What we’re interested in (and why it’s everything) 

Our panelists discuss why we focus on five key areas — and when we’re willing to look beyond them.

Great partnerships begin with great conversation. Learn more about how discovery & development and licensing shape the future of Merck.  

For more, check out the full podcast: 

Read the transcript

Our people

Here for Good: Bridging the gap between bedside and bench

Members of Merck’s lung cancer clinical development team say working in the hospital inspired their drive to innovate for patients

May 24, 2023

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Dr. Ayman Samkari remembers how treating patients during his medical school rotations brought him face to face with the unmet needs of people with cancer. He learned to listen to what matters for patients beyond their diagnoses, and he sought new ways to make a greater impact as an oncologist.

Watch Samkari and Dr. Nazly Shariati discuss their passion for their work:

“Even though I enjoyed every moment of practicing medicine and treating patients with cancer, I had the question at the back of my mind: How can I do things differently? How can I improve patient outcomes?” recalled Samkari, who now works for Merck as executive director in oncology clinical development. “That’s what drove me to pursue my career in clinical research, where I could help patients on a larger scale.”

And after 25 years as a surgeon, when a hand ailment ultimately sidelined her in the operating room, Dr. Nazly Shariati found that research was another avenue to help more patients.

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“Merck allowed me to not only fulfill my goals in life and my career but continue on my path to have an impact on patients’ lives.”

— Dr. Nazly Shariati

Senior principal scientist in oncology clinical development

From careers in clinical care to careers in research

Samkari’s background as an oncologist, and Shariati’s as a surgeon, have informed their work in our lung cancer clinical development program. All too familiar with the challenges of treating patients with advanced disease, Samkari and Shariati are shifting their research to investigating lung cancer at its earlier stages, before it has spread, when it’s more likely to be successfully treated.

When she was a cardiothoracic surgeon, Shariati often felt a sinking feeling whenever a patient’s lung cancer would return, which is common among people diagnosed with lung cancer that was removed surgically. But today she’s excited by scientific advances in resectable lung cancer focused on helping more patients.

Understanding the patient experience

Shariati said understanding the patient experience is what drives a researcher’s passion, innovation and desire to help others.

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“It is very important to have that experience in managing and seeing patients because it gives you a completely different perspective on how you conduct your work.”

— Dr. Ayman Samkari

Executive director in oncology clinical development

Each day, Samkari and Shariati continue to push the boundaries in research to help make a difference for people living with cancer.

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