Compliance with regulatory requirements When it comes to chemicals, some of which are also classed as hazardous substances, proper use is a prerequisite for the safety of people and the environment. This is why we provide our customers with extensive information about the safe use of our products. Numerous regulations are intended to ensure that chemicals pose no danger to humans or the environment. Compliance with these regulatory requirements is an important part of our work. They pertain to the production, handling, import, marketing, recycling, and disposal of chemicals. With our Group-wide “Product Safety Chemicals” policy, we have established global [...]

Our products have to be safe – as long as used properly they should not pose a danger to patients, customers or the environment. We therefore examine product safety across the entire life cycle and continuously take steps to make improvements. We make our products safer to use by providing patients and customers with extensive informational material that partly goes beyond the statutory requirements.Read more about the safety of our drugs. Read more about the safety of our chemical products.

Our pharmaceutical pricing approach helps us recover research, development, manufacturing, regulatory, distribution, and other costs incurred by the company in bringing its products to market, in order to ensure a sustainable supply of products for future generations of patients. This process enables us to continue investing in the discovery and development of new medicines. Recognizing the importance of affordable access to medicines in developing countries, we adapt pricing through flexible, differentiated pricing and product donations. Pricing Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany reviews its pricing on a regular basis to ensure that our products are competitive and [...]

In everything we do, our number one priority is our patients' safety. Before an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is used in humans, we conduct extensive pre-clinical trials that test for aspects such as efficacy and toxicity. After this, the API is tested in humans within the scope of clinical trials that extensively investigate the API's efficacy and adverse effects. The trial results are then used to assess the drug's risk-benefit ratio, weighing the benefits of the treatment against its risks. In the case of severe or even life-threatening diseases that have no other treatment option, a higher risk of adverse effects can be more acceptable than for less [...]

Packaging plays an important role for our products in two ways. For one, it protects our products from external influences and ensures that they reach the customer undamaged. Secondly, packaging guarantees that the environment will not be negatively impacted by substances leaking out. The packaging has to remain safe throughout the product's entire life cycle – during transport, storage, usage, and disposal. The development of suitable packaging therefore constitutes part of our product development process and contributes to product safety. One example is our Safebreak bottles, which are coated in plastic to prevent chemicals from leaking out if the glass breaks. [...]