Complementing Our Research
Currently, MSD's focus is to supplement our existing franchises with complementary external arrangements and to bring the best science into areas where we do not currently have products. This includes not only early-stage research collaborations leading to a compound for development, but also innovative arrangements involving products that are either established or in later stages of development.

Success as a Result of Collaboration
MSD has a long history as a successful partner-for example, among the five products that are our key drivers of growth, FOSAMAX and COZAAR/HYZAAR came to MSD via license agreements. We believe in win-win arrangements with benefits accruing to both parties in an equitable manner. Once a licensed-in product enters MSD's pipeline, we bring the breadth of MSD's resources, talent and experience to getting the product to market and then optimizing its success in markets worldwide.

Companies

• Cambridge Antibody Technology, UK: Antibody technologies
• MerLion Pharmaceuticals Pte. Ltd, Singapore: New drug candidates from natural sources
• Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, USA: Potential treatments for Alzheimer's Disease
• Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Japan: Potential treatments for Schizophrenia

Universities

• Cambridge University, UK: Sponsors neuroscience researchers
• Cole Eye Institute, USA: Age-related macular degeneration
• European Union Research Training Networks: Calcium channel roll in central nervous system disorders
• Harvard University, USA: Sponsors Institute for Chemistry and Cell Biology

We are constantly and proactively seeking new external opportunities for compounds, biologics and technologies in virtually all human health therapeutic areas, especially those where there are unmet medical needs and where new or better treatments are needed. Product candidates coming from collaborations are fully integrated into the MSD drug-development process, with the same level of rigor and resources devoted to licensed products as internally discovered product candidates.

What We Bring To Collaborations

• The pharmaceutical industry's premier scientific research organization
• Extensive manufacturing infrastructure—from bench to full-scale manufacture—with integrated problem solving throughout the entire complex process
• Demonstrated worldwide marketing capabilities, from creating new markets, entering established markets to expanding existing markets and managing multi-product franchises
• Seamless interdivisional integration of research, manufacturing and marketing to ensure efficient and comprehensive worldwide product development and life cycle management
• Worldwide reach—MSD is one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in each major market, allowing optimization of product development and marketing throughout the world, and the most efficient "one-stop shopping" for our partners