Merck Generics ready to profit from growth opportunities in Belgium
Overijse/Belgium and Darmstadt/Germany, September 19, 2000 - Merck KGaA today announced that the Merck Generics Group, one of the strongest-growing Generics companies world-wide, has started its own presence to profit from the growth opportunities of the Belgian marketplace. Merck Generics Belgium, located in Overijse near Brussels, has started operations today with 16 employees.
Marketing and sale of generic medicines in Belgium will begin in September and will soon include more than 30 different products in various presentations in the therapeutic areas of cardiology, gastroenterology, antibiotherapy, oncology, urology and neuropsychiatry. "This step enhances our position in the European marketplace, and we are committed to further expanding our global business by new products and acquisitions world-wide", states Mike Urwin, CEO of the Merck Generics Group.
The generics market in Belgium is still small in volume, but with a strong annual growth rate. "In the short term, the Belgian government plans to promote actively the prescription of generics. In this context, Merck Generics will be ready to offer generic medicines with Merck quality at competitive prices", said Vincent Jacob, Managing Director of Merck S.A. in Belgium.
The Merck Generics Group was launched in 1994 and is today one of the strongest-growing Generics businesses world-wide. Generics sales increased from roughly EUR 100 m in 1995 to EUR 650 m in 1999, mainly through acquisitions and organic growth. The Merck Generics Group achieves around one-third of its global sales in 12 European countries. The business specializes in the development, manufacture and sale of generics and contributes 25 percent of Merck KGaA's total Pharmaceuticals sales.
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