Merck KGaA‘s biopharma biz, EMD Serono, said today that it won FDA approval for a redesigned version of its Gonal-f RFF Redi-ject pen injector. The device, which was first approved in 2013, is designed to inject follitropin alfra to induce ovulation and pregnancy in oligo-anovulatory women. The newly-designed pen was evaluated in a simulated-use study involving 86 […]
Merck KGaA
Merck mulling sale of $1B consumer health biz
Germany’s Merck KGaA is mulling a sale of its $1 billion consumer health business as it looks to meet financial targets in the wake of a decline in its liquid crystal businesses. Management at Merck have reportedly sounded out prospective buyers on a number of occasions over the years, but were held back by the […]
Fresenius closes Merck biosimilar biz purchase
Fresenius Kabi said today that it closed its acquisition of Merck KGaA’s biosimilars unit. The company paid €156 million at closing ($185.7 million USD) and could pay up to €500 million ($595.2 million USD) in milestone payments, which are contingent upon meeting certain drug development targets. Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Delivery Business News.
Fresenius acquires generics drugmaker Akorn, Merck’s biosimilars biz
German healthcare company Fresenius (ETR:FRE) said today that it bought U.S. generic drugmaker Akorn Inc. (NSDQ:AKRX) for $4.75 billion and Merck KGaA’s biosimilars business. Since chief executive Stephan Sturm took the helm in June, the company has made takeovers a key part of its strategy. Fresenius bought a Spanish hospital chain for 5.8 billion euros […]
Medtech personnel moves for the week of Mar. 10, 2014
ConMed proxy war gets ugly
February 28, 2014 by Brad Perriello
The proxy war over control of the board at ConMed turned ugly this week after serious allegations surfaced against 1 of the medical device company’s nominees for director.
Madaus is new CEO at Carlyle’s Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics
The Carlyle Group said it tapped Martin Madaus to take over as CEO of the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics business it’s acquiring from Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ).
Wall Street reacts to Abbott’s spinout plan
Abbott’s (NYSE:ABT) plan to spinout its pharmaceuticals division met with a lukewarm response from investors and mixed views on whether other pharma firms will bid for the new firm.
The health care giant dropped the bombshell news along with its third-quarter results earlier this week, saying it planned to keep its medical products business under the Abbott banner and create a new, as-yet-unnamed public company from the pharma unit.
Murdock Institute’s president steps down; successor expected this summer
Deal for Millipore starting to pay off for Merck KGaA
Recently acquired Millipore pumped nearly $900 million in additional revenues into Merck Group KGaA (XETRA:MRK) during the second half of 2010, including a $465 million, fourth-quarter contribution.
Enforcing the gift ban when you’re the caterer
It was an international doctors’ meeting and had been a long morning of running between sessions. The brief break before the late-morning sessions was underway and doctors were streaming into the exhibit hall. The Merck booth was spacious and had a pleasant gentleman wearing a conventional hall uniform with white gloves behind a counter with two ornate large coffee pots and small cups behind the counter. The line of conference-goers stretched some distance, as the bleary-eyed and shoulder-bag-laden attendees waited for their cup of “joe.”
Merck closes Millipore acquisition
Merck KGaA (NYSE:MRK) closed its deal to acquire Millipore Corp. (NYSE:MIL) for $6 billion in cash plus about $890 million in Millipore debt.
The German pharmaceutical and chemical company agreed to pay $107 per share for Billerica, Mass.-based Millipore, which makes which produces specialty filters for water used in laboratory, drug and biotech applications, among other products.