Merck & Co commits $1.5 billion to R&D in China over next five years

Adding to the flow of pharmaceutical investment into the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, US drug giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) says it is establishing an Asia R&D headquarters for innovative drug discovery and development located in Beijing, China. The new facility is part of a $1.5 billion commitment the company has made to invest in R&D in China over the next five years.

"The establishment of the MSD [as the firm is known outside North America] Asia R&D headquarters represents an important milestone as we implement our strategy of building capabilities, and relationships to succeed in fast growing geographic regions," said Peter Kim, president, Merck Research Laboratories. "By strategically locating in China, we are able to complement our existing R&D capabilities, and facilitate new collaborations with scientists in the region and across emerging markets," he noted.