Merck KGaA starts work on what will be its second-largest plant

German drugmaker emphasizes the importance of China with big investment there

August 28, 2014 | By Eric Palmer

Merck KGaA emphasized the importance of China as a market when it announced last year it would build a new plant there, a facility that would be its largest outside of Europe. The German drugmaker made that point again last month when it announced it was getting ready to start construction on the facility. And this week, just in case anyone had missed it, the drugmaker said construction had begun on the plant which will make meds on China's essential drug list.

"We have steadfastly aligned our focus and strategy with the Chinese government's efforts to increase patient access to quality care throughout the country," Merck Serono CEO Belén Garijo said in a statement. "Today, we are focused on localizing production to better cater to the demands of Chinese doctors and patients. At the same time, we are localizing research and development to further build a differentiated portfolio of medicines in China, aimed at serving patient needs for general as well as specialized care. We are also creating alliances and partnerships with local partners in every part of our operations."

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