Merck Opens Production Facility Exclusively for Meglumine in Spain

          - Regulatory compliant, FDA-audited facility based in Mollet des Valles, Spain

          - The only facility in Europe solely dedicated to meglumine production

           Merck , a leading science and technology company, today announced the opening of a facility in Mollet des Valles, Spain dedicated to the manufacture of meglumine, an FDA-approved excipient for pharmaceuticals and a component of medical imaging contrast media.
         

          The facility, validated by the FDA, is the only location in Europe that manufactures meglumine, an amino sugar derived from glucose.  The facility in Spain is solely dedicated to the production of meglumine, thereby ensuring continuity of supply to customers as well as meeting increasing demand for the excipient. As an excipient, meglumine interacts directly with active pharmaceutical ingredients to increase solubility. Therefore, the manufacture of meglumine must meet the same stringent regulatory and quality requirements as APIs.

          "Our new facility was optimized around the manufacturing process to achieve greater efficiencies and meets the most stringent quality standards for manufacturing meglumine," said Andrew Bulpin, Head of Process Solutions Strategic Marketing & Innovation, Life Science .  "The result is a high level of confidence in quality and security of supply for our customers."

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          About Merck

          Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of € 12.85 billion in 66 countries.

          Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.