Potential changes in Merck KGaA
Biosimilars can become not the only loss for Merck this year.
The German drugmaker is weighing options for its business in the field of consumer health, so partial or complete sale is just a matter of time. According to the company, Merck is also open to strategic partnerships.
“We expect increasing internal constraints to fund the business to reach the required scale,” Belén Garijo, the company’s healthcare CEO, said in a statement, adding that “any possible proceeds from a potential transaction would be used to deliver on the company’s overall financial targets.”
This does not mean that the business will not be a strong asset for someone else, the company insists. Garijo touted a “solid position in attractive markets,” as well as a profitable growth pattern for the business, which last year racked up sales of €860 million on the back of products including nasal decongestant Nasivin and the vitamin-mineral complex Femibion for pregnant women.
This isn’t the first time Merck has thought about dropping consumer health, either, Reuters reports. The news service’s sources say the company’s management has scouted potential buyers multiple times, but that its founding family—which owns 70% of the drugmaker—wasn’t into the idea.
Source: fiercepharma.