Company Overview

For more than 100 years, the names Merck and Frosst have been inextricably linked to many advances — in the treatment of infectious diseases, pain and inflammation, for breakthroughs in immunization and vaccines, in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, in mitigating the effects of glaucoma and osteoporosis and in controlling the symptoms of asthma.

Scientists at the Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research are working to discover new therapeutic agents for the treatment of respiratory diseases, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and osteoporosis. The Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research located in Montreal, Quebec, is one of 10 Merck research laboratories worldwide.

Merck Frosst has doubled the number of research and development personnel in the last decade. More than 300 of the world’s leading scientific personnel with advanced degrees now work for the company in six research groups: Medicinal Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Process Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, and Clinical Research. Merck Frosst scientists conduct the entire range of the research process in the company’s state-of-the-art laboratories. Basic research seeks to shed light on the fundamental mechanisms of disease. Promising compounds are then investigated to observe their effects on these mechanisms. This investigation includes finding the correct dosage and the best means of delivering the medication. Clinical research is conducted to ascertain the drug's safety and efficacy.

A major focus of the Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research has been on leukotrienes and prostaglandins. Produced naturally by the body, these chemicals are basic to the mechanisms of asthma, psoriasis, inflammatory disorders and gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. It is believed that leukotrienes hold the key to a wide range of treatments for some of the most difficult diseases to treat.

Scientists at the Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research have been investigating leukotrienes since 1979. This line of research led to the development of SINGULAIR^® (montelukast sodium) an oral asthma medication that adults and children as young as two can take daily to control their asthma symptoms. In 2000, Merck Frosst was awarded the Prix Galien Canada “Innovative Product” and the Prix Galien “Research” for the discovery and development of SINGULAIR^®. These awards are among the most prestigious in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry.

Prostaglandin research has also led our scientists to discover and develop the anti-inflammatory medication ARCOXIA™ (etoricoxib) for the treatment of arthritis and pain. This medication is approved in more than 40 countries worldwide. Merck Frosst scientists continue to work on therapeutic approaches to inflammatory diseases to bring new treatments to patients. Scientists are also active in mining many other pathways for the therapeutic targets of the future.

Discovery does not occur in a vacuum. It takes resources, teamwork and partnerships that transcend national and corporate borders as well as an environment that values research to make the discoveries that advance our understanding of disease and lead to innovative treatments. The Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research works extensively with scientists in universities, hospitals, healthcare institutions and our network of Merck research centres.

Merck Frosst's strategy of establishing strong external alliances complements its considerable internal research capabilities. This approach includes early-stage research collaboration to identify compounds for development, as well as innovative arrangements for products that are either established or in later stages of development.

Advances in healthcare require resources, teamwork and partnerships across the country, across the world and across companies. Merck Frosst partners with other Canadian research institutions that share common goals.

Génome Québec:

In April 2006, Merck Frosst and Génome Québec, announced a joint research investment to develop treatments for life-threatening fungal infections. This research will be conducted by Merck Frosst scientists.

Robarts Research Institute:

In March 2006, the Robarts Research Institute, in London, Ontario, opened Canada's most advanced MRI facility. Merck invested $3 million in an ultra-high field MRI scanner, which will help its researchers accelerate the study of a range of disorders, including respiratory illnesses, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

Neuromed Pharmaceuticals:

Vancouver-based Neuromed and Merck recently signed an agreement to collaborate on research, development and commercialisation of novel compounds for pain, including the compound NMED-160 that targets the N-type calcium

When Charles E. Frosst & Co. was founded in 1899, the Canadian pharmaceutical industry was still in its infancy. From the start, Charles E. Frosst and his four associates made it clear that their company was an innovator, rapidly introducing new products such as the famous numbered analgesics known as 217^® and 222^® — products that are still used in Canada. During the 1920s, the company became family-owned and, as it grew, it consolidated its reputation for innovation. During the mid-forties, Charles E. Frosst pioneered nuclear medicine in Canada by developing the country's first radioactive pharmaceutical products, for sale here and abroad. In 1965, Charles E. Frosst & Co. joined another, even more venerable pharmaceutical dynasty, Merck & Co., Inc. of New Jersey.

The Merck family has its roots in 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany — roots that were transplanted to the New World by George Merck in 1891. The union of the two companies was logical: Merck had a branch in Montréal dating back to 1911, at first as an importer and seller of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals and, by 1930, as a manufacturer. More significantly, Merck was following the same path of innovation and discovery as its Canadian colleagues. Merck was producing Vitamin B₁ in 1940 and, penicillin in the Commonwealth's first deep fermentation unit by 1944. Innovations followed at a rapid pace. The company's pursuit of vitamin research led to discoveries in sulfa drugs, penicillins and corticosteroids. Its pioneering work in nuclear medicine began with a request from the National Research Council for the production of specialty compounds to be used as tracers in the study of chemicals and biological processes. In 1955, Merck merged with another manufacturer of drugs, Toronto-based Sharp & Dohme. With its headquarters in Montréal, the new company became known in 1961 as Merck Sharp & Dohme Canada Limited.

The stage was thus set for the latest chapter in a long and distinguished history, beginning with the 1965 acquisition of Charles E. Frosst & Co. by Merck & Co., Inc. In 1968, Merck Frosst Laboratories was created to act as the service company to the two sales companies: Merck Sharp & Dohme Canada Limited and Charles E. Frosst & Co. In 1982, the three companies were restructured under the name Merck Frosst Canada Inc. and became a fully integrated pharmaceutical company. The company later changed its name to Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.

Merck Frosst is respected for its leadership by its peers and the healthcare community it serves. At the same time, we recognize that our reputation is earned and maintained through the hard work of the people we employ. This is why Merck Frosst directs resources to recruiting the best professionals in their fields — people who are imbued with the spirit of excellence that prevails at Merck Frosst. True excellence is a restless quality that seeks continuous improvement. For this reason, the company encourages an open atmosphere that welcomes new ideas. As a progressive employer, Merck Frosst also seeks to nurture the kind of employee who shows leadership, initiative and commitment. The company supports these qualities through training and professional development programs, employment equity and other initiatives aimed at helping every employee achieve his or her personal and professional potential.

Merck Frosst is recognized as an employer of choice offering progressive programs such as flexible work arrangements (telecommuting, job sharing, flex time), maternity top-up program, daycare facilities as well as spring and summer camps for employees’ children ages 6 to 12.

In 2005, Merck Frosst was selected, for the sixth consecutive year, as one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Maclean's magazine. In 2005, Merck Frosst was also chosen, for a second year in a row, as one of the winners of the Best Employers for 50-Plus Canadians by CARP, Canada’s Association for the Fifty-Plus. In 2004 Merck was ranked among the "50 Best Companies to Work for in Canada" by Report on Business magazine and was named by Today's Parent as one of Canada's Top Ten Family-Friendly Employers.