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Merz Pharma Group is a privately held pharmaceutical company headquartered in Frankfurt am Main with offices in 20 major countries around the world. The firm’s activities extend to research and production areas in the field of aesthetic medicine, botulinum toxin therapy, and venture investments in the globalization of aesthetic dermatology.
Since 1997, the Russian subsidiary of Merz Pharma Group under the name Merz Pharma LLC has been included in the 70 largest pharmaceutical corporations on the Russian market. It is the third largest affiliate of Merz Corporation in the world, promoting about 40 different products, including cosmetics, vitamins, medical products and medicines.
Merz bears responsibility for the health of its consumers by producing high quality products. The company’s management builds honest partnerships with all its consumers – doctors, patients, pharmacists.
Research work in the activity of the human central nervous system and dermatology is a strategic development priority for Merz. The company confidently holds a leading position in the market of many countries in the world among drugs and medical products of the above profile.
Brand History
The young chemist Friedrich Merz knew in his youth what he would do in life. His desire to improve medicinal and therapeutic methods for the treatment of various diseases led to the fact that already in 1908 he was able to establish his own first factory producing pharmaceutical products in Frankfurt. The start-up capital for the founding of the plant was compensation from Merz’s former employer and the amount for his first patent in his life. A year later, in 1909, the Merz company expands and moves to the current headquarters of the Merz management structure – an office at Eckenheimer Landstrasse 100, where the cigarette factory was previously based.
The social situation of many people at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany led to the fact that in most families several children could actually become the cause of impoverishment and high morbidity. This was the reason for Merz in 1911 to launch his first contraceptive, Patentex, which was approved by doctors and pharmacists, but was categorically rejected by the church and representatives of the German Empire. In the same year, the pharmacist patents serol, which can be used as the basis for ointments for various applications.
In addition to drugs, Merz also distinguished himself by the invention of menthol cigarettes in 1914, although he himself never smoked. The refreshing taste of cigarettes is provided by a mixture of menthol with oriental tobaccos. In the 1930s, the pharmacist and entrepreneur opens numerous branches around the world – in Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, London and Newark. March 1944 brought losses to the Merz company – the Frankfurt factory of the brand was destroyed as a result of the bombing. Production was restored and even developed, thanks to the evacuation of spare mechanisms from the factory in Reinheim.
In 1953, the International Conference on Cosmetic Care became the springboard for the presentation of Merz’s new invention – placentubex, which was a tool that helps to increase skin elasticity, correct wrinkles, and rejuvenate. In 1964, a real hit of the pharmacist was born – the legendary Merz Special Dragee, which at that time contained 18 actives and a yeast extract. A year later, Tetesept became a new product in the pharmacist’s line, consisting of essential oils of medicinal plants, intended for taking therapeutic baths. In 1968, on the basis of placentubex, Merz creates the first foam mask, which helps to rejuvenate those ladies who are always busy and cannot devote enough time to their appearance every day.
New therapies were introduced by Merz in the 1970s. In a short period, a series of patents and innovative ideas ensure the success of the Merz brand. During this period, Lipo-Merz (to reduce high blood lipid levels), PK-Merz (for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease), Viru-Merz (antiherpetic treatment) and Hepa-Merz (for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy) were proposed.
In 2002, a new development from Merz enters the market – an effective remedy against dementia as a result of Alzheimer’s disease – Akatinol Memantine. The action of the drug is based on the protection of brain neurons from high concentrations of glutamate. In 2005, Merz pharmacists introduced the latest generation of botulinum toxin to the market – xeomin, which can treat neurological pathologies of motor functions. Xeomin does not have protein complexes in the structure and is highly effective and completely safe for the patient.
In 2008, Merz Corporation successfully celebrated its centenary, accompanied by numerous developments and successful operations around the world.
Merz product range
The Merz company is currently engaged in research and promotion on the pharmaceutical market of drugs whose action is directed against psychiatric and neurological pathologies. The corporation is developing medicines against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depressive states. Also, the company’s experts offer on the market drugs that treat scars, alopecia, acne, fungal diseases, liver diseases, pathologies associated with impaired lipid metabolism in the body. In addition, Merz offers drugs based on botulinum toxin for the treatment of neurological pathologies, and drugs memantine hydrochloride or Namenda XR drugs are offered for severe dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.
Merz Corporation is actively engaged in products in the aesthetic dermatology market. In Russia, the company is constantly strengthening its own leadership in this industry and strives to constantly develop domestic aesthetic dermatology in the country with the help of its own latest developments.
The Merz brand owns such world-famous innovative products as Lipo-Merz, PK-Merz, Viru-Merz, Memantine (treats Alzheimer’s disease and the moderate dementia it causes). The domestic market also includes drugs such as Contractubex, Hepa-Merz, Pantogar and Special dragee Merz.
Company production facilities
Merz Corporation is a well-known global developer of health and beauty products in accordance with the standards and rhythm of modern life. The headquarters of the company, like a hundred years ago, is located in Frankfurt am Main. Research and innovation work in the field of dermatology, clinical neurology and aesthetic medicine is carried out by the company’s enterprises constantly. In order to provide innovations in aesthetic dermatology, in 2009, the management of Merz created a special division – Merz Aesthetics, which today offers both medical staff and their patients a balanced complex of pharmacological agents to support youth and beauty, including the Radies volumizer, Glyton hyaluronic preparations and Belotero, as well as Xeomin, which was discussed above.
Merz employs more than 2000 employees worldwide and generates annual sales in excess of 1 billion euros. In 2013, the management announced the acquisition of the Swiss company Anteis SA, which is actively developing products for aesthetic medicine, into its own asset. This acquisition was seen as a reinforcing factor for Merz’s presence in the aesthetic medical market. Their products were complementary, staff were free to interact with each other, and innovations overlapped at many points because the firms had been actively collaborating with each other before the merger. Anteis SA has been a pharmaceutical market player on its own for less than a decade, however, during this period it has managed to become one of the strongest players in injectable medicine in the aesthetic products market.
The company was a manufacturer of non-permanent implants, gels intended for contouring, preparations from hyaluronic acid, which are represented by the lines:
- Mesolisu Modelis;
- Cunning;
- Jolidermisu Anteis InjectionSystem;
- Estelis.
The merger with Merz has helped make these products available in 90 countries, as well as continue the company’s own innovations in the orthopedic and ophthalmic fields.
The acquisition of Anteis SA’s production facilities followed the acquisition of another Swiss pharmaceutical giant, Neocutis SA, in the summer of 2013. This enterprise, with its ten-year work, has demonstrated innovations in the field of beauty and youth to the whole world, studying technologies that can be applied against photoaging, hyperpigmentation, and solar radiation. The largest contribution to the turnover of goods is made by the line of products with anti-aging effect. Since 2009, the acquiring company has been operating in the US market, where the company’s distribution network is well established. Products by Neocutis SA. It is actively used both before and after aesthetic medical procedures, reducing negative manifestations and enhancing their effectiveness.
After the acquisition of Neocutis SA. and Anteis SA, Merz is strengthening its R&D direction and increasing its influence in the pharmaceutical product markets in many countries around the world. Merz’s leading position in the field of aesthetic medicine is now undeniable.
In 2014, Merz completed the largest deal in its history to strengthen its position and increase production capacity. She bought the largest manufacturer of equipment in the field of beauty – the company Ulthera. The expansion of the Merz product line through the use of equipment manufactured by Ulthera will allow the corporation to gain a foothold in leadership positions in the aesthetic industry for a long time.
Ulthera was founded in 2004 and has been providing non-surgical facelifts and anti-aging beauty treatments. The famous Ulthera System is based on ultrasound and is the only world base for hardware lifting. The effectiveness of this system has received numerous certificates and approvals from the U.S. Government Food and Drug Administration. The system is also recognized as the most effective non-traumatic method for eliminating wrinkles in the décolleté area.
In 2017, Merz Corporation announced the start of construction of a plant for the production of dermal fillers in the German city of Dessau. The management of the company invested about 15 million euros in this construction. The plant will be built on an area of about 1200 square meters and should start operating in 2018. This platform is of strategic importance for Merz, as the growing demand for fillers is pushing manufacturers to look for new solutions in terms of production. The fillers produced at the new plant will contain the maximum concentration of hyaluronic acid in their composition. Such investment in production capacity is a logical and necessary step for a manufacturer that, in addition to its usual botulinum toxin products, is starting to actively produce dermal fillers according to international quality standards. Employees of engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical profiles, as well as a number of scientists will be hired to work at the new production facilities.
The company’s activities in the global market
Merz, an innovative corporation in the field of pharmaceuticals and aesthetic medicine, specializes in the production of products that help ensure a stable standard of living for its consumers. “Merz people” look and feel better, which means they live their own lives better. Due to the presence of professional expertise in the neurological, immunological, hepatological and dermatological fields, since 2014 the company has been actively developing the botulinum therapy direction and aesthetic dermatology.
In Russia, the division of the company has been operating since 1997 and it works quite successfully, being the third branch of the structure in terms of sales. In Russia, Merz is one of the 70 largest pharmaceutical companies. Today, 44 medicinal, medical and cosmetic products from Merz are registered and used here.
The company constantly develops and supports various innovative profile projects. The management states that it is ready to invest about 25 million euros of venture capital investments in the initial stages of projects aimed at combating aging and the development of body modeling techniques. In 2014, such investments amounted to about 15% of the company’s revenue, which is equal to almost 1 billion euros.
Among the future objects of such investments, Merz considers innovative companies in the USA, Israel and Europe, which have already begun their own activities in preparing new products for the market. If such research campaigns are successful, Merz management promises to be a long-term investor with comprehensive support for the firms. The resources for such support can be the wide geography of Merz itself in the world, its experience in aesthetic medicine, scientific centers in Europe and the USA, as well as representative offices in 22 countries and points of sale in 100.
Since 2016, Merz has started localized Russian production of its own drug Akatinol Memantine, intended for the treatment of dementia. Dementia is senile dementia, which is very common in the elderly, and is a social and medical problem of modern society.
The general aging of the population leads to the fact that a huge layer of older people have dementia, which requires outside care for the patient. A breakthrough from Merz – the creation of a drug that helps fight the manifestations and progression of dementia – in 2002 brought the company the German Innovation Award.
Since 2009, Merz has launched a new Internet portal MEMINI, which helps people who are faced with the problem of dementia. Here you can both communicate with ordinary people on sore topics, and ask questions to a neurologist, lawyer, psychologist, get background information about the disease, patient care, addresses of specialized clinics. In 2015, the portal was visited by more than 450 thousand users.
In 2010, “Merz” begins to issue a free newspaper MEMINI with a circulation of 70 copies with duplication of site information for those who do not have access to the Internet. Specialized schools for relatives of patients with dementia are opening around the world, where the opportunity to consult with specialists is provided. There are already 20 such schools in Russia. Since 2012, various supportive actions have been constantly carried out aimed at forming an adequate public attitude towards dementia, the SOS: Dementia! “Merz Dementia Monitor”, screenings of violations on the eve of dementia “Babushkologiya”, “MEMINI Memory Academy” started.
All this has a global socio-medical significance and is welcomed by the world community as a necessary and timely step towards a healthy old age.
Where to buy products
Internet pharmacy WER.RU
On the pages of the online pharmacy WER.RU you can find a wide range of cosmetic products from the Merz brand. Users can easily purchase Merz Spezial Hyaluronic Acid Cream Mousse, Merz Spezial Collagen Cream Mousse and other products of the brand.
ZDRAVZONA online pharmacy
Medical drugs are often searched in online pharmacies. Merz products are very popular among the population. Buy inexpensive online drugs “Merz” offers an online pharmacy ZDRAVZONA, which presents a lot of products for consumers, for example, the famous Merz Special Dragee, Akatinol Memantine tablets.
The latter drug weakens the degeneration of the central nervous system, acts as a calcium channel blocker, acts as a neuroprotector, improves the transmission of nerve impulses and membrane potential. Suitable for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Pharmacy 911
The online pharmacy Pharmacy 911 also presents medicines from Merz. Patient reviews about these funds are very positive, many of those who purchased Merz Special Dragee on the Pharmacy 911 website write after taking the drug that it effectively increases hemoglobin, helps to recover from various surgical interventions, and normalizes iron levels.