Merck and Samsung Bioepis Enter Collaboration Agreement to Develop and Commercialize Insulin Glargine Candidate for Diabetes

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. & SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA--()--Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd., announced today that they have expanded their collaboration with an agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize MK-1293, an insulin glargine candidate for the treatment of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Phase III clinical studies in type 1 and type 2 diabetes will begin soon.

“We look forward to collaborating with Samsung Bioepis on this insulin glargine candidate, as diabetes is a top priority for the company,” said Matt Strasburger, senior vice president, Diabetes, Global Human Health, Merck. “Merck is strengthening its leadership in diabetes through our own work and in collaboration with others, and this agreement will help build our portfolio across the spectrum of the disease.”

“Samsung Bioepis is very pleased to extend the partnership with Merck to the field of diabetes,” said Christopher Hansung Ko, Ph.D., CEO of Samsung Bioepis. “This collaboration will bring better access to patients with diabetes worldwide.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will collaborate on clinical development, regulatory filings and manufacturing. If approved, Merck will commercialize this candidate. This collaboration builds on the agreement made by the two companies in February 2013 to develop and commercialize multiple biosimilar candidates.

About Samsung Bioepis

Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and Biogen Idec, aims to develop affordable and high-quality biopharmaceutical and biosimilar products. For more information, please visit www.samsungbioepis.com.

About Merck

Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Merck Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and healthcare legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward healthcare cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Contacts

Merck Media Inquiries
Kim Hamilton, 908-423-6831
or
Caroline Lappetito, 267-305-7639
or
Merck Investor Relations
Carol Ferguson, 908-423-4465
or
Samsung Media Inquiries
HongSeok Ji, +82-32-455-6102
or
Samsung Investor Relations
Sungjoon Park, +82-32-455-6120

Release Summary

Merck and Samsung Bioepis announced today that they have expanded their collaboration with an agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize MK-1293, an insulin glargine candidate for diabetes.

Contacts

Merck Media Inquiries
Kim Hamilton, 908-423-6831
or
Caroline Lappetito, 267-305-7639
or
Merck Investor Relations
Carol Ferguson, 908-423-4465
or
Samsung Media Inquiries
HongSeok Ji, +82-32-455-6102
or
Samsung Investor Relations
Sungjoon Park, +82-32-455-6120