Merck enters drug distribution pact with South Africa's Adcock Ingram

Merck, the second-biggest drugmaker in the US, today announced a strategic collaboration between Merck South Africa and Adcock Ingram, a publicly held South African company, to co-promote and distribute a number of its products in South Africa.

The products that will be jointly promoted by Merck and Adcock Ingram include over-the-counter (OTC) products and selected prescription medicines currently registered in South Africa by Merck and Schering-Plough.
 
Merck did not disclose financial details of the collaboration.

Merck entered into collaboration with Adcock Ingram to co-promote and distribute products from various therapeutic areas, including: asthma, dermatology, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, migraine and osteoporosis as well as a portfolio of over the counter medications.

New Jersey-based Merck, also known as MSD outside Canada and the US, expects that the emerging markets will account for more than 25 per cent of its global pharmaceutical and vaccine revenue in 2013 based on the implementation of the company's emerging markets strategy. Merck holds a 4.7 per cent market share in South Africa.

To accomplish this, the company intends to continue to successfully launch new products, optimise its robust in-line portfolio of medicines, vaccines, follow-on biologics and consumer care products, and fully leverage the market for branded generics with the company's portfolio of mature brands as well as targeted business development.

Adcock Ingram is a publicly held company with a market capitalisation of about $1.1 billion and holds about 10 per cent market share of the South African private pharmaceutical market.