Joint Venture between Merck & Co. and Simcere

A joint venture between Merck & Co. and Simcere Pharmaceutical in China, with initial focus on branded pharmaceuticals in the cardiovascular and metabolic disease areas, is soon to be established. Adam Schechter, Merck’s president for global human health remarked that “This partnership is another step forward in Merck’s strategy to grow our business in China and is fully aligned with the Chinese government’s goal to increase access to quality products.”

Zocor (simvastatin), Cozaar (losartan), and Renitec (enalapril) by Merck as well as Xinta (levamlodipine) and Shufutan (rosuvastatin) by Simcere will be the products offered by both companies as a part of the venture. The companies are said to work to “maximize access” of Merck’s type 2 diabetes drug Sitagliptin “in China.”