MSD’s Q4 and full-year 2022 results reflect sustained strong revenue growth. The company announced Q4 worldwide sales of $13.8 billion, an increase of 2% from Q4 2021. Full-year 2022 worldwide sales were $59.3 billion, an increase of 22% from full year 2021.
“2022 was an exceptional year for MSD, which is a testament to the profound impact our medicines and vaccines are having on patients globally,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer. “I am extremely proud of what our talented and dedicated colleagues have accomplished scientifically, commercially and operationally. Our science-led strategy is working as we continue to build a sustainable engine that will drive innovation and generate long-term value for patients and shareholders well into the next decade.”
MSD anticipates full-year 2023 worldwide sales to be between $57.2 billion and $58.7 billion.
Take a look at the infographic below for more details.
Dr. Eric H. Rubin, former senior vice president, oncology early development, MSD Research Laboratories, and Howard Brown, author, speaker, two-time cancer survivor and advocate, first met in 1989. Brown, just a 23-year-old recent college graduate, had gone to the hospital to get a purple mark on his cheek evaluated. Dr. Rubin was a first-year fellow on the medical team who had to deliver the devastating news that Brown had an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and would need to begin treatment immediately.
“A cancer diagnosis just stops you in your tracks,” Brown said. “It sets you on a really tough journey that can be unpredictable. Dr. Rubin and I were close in age, and we found a common ground because we had to build trust and we were trying to solve this giant jigsaw puzzle and there were no guarantees. I think my experience with Dr. Rubin back in 1989 was a precursor to where we are now. Advocacy and patient-centric care is now more of the norm.”
Dr. Rubin sees a direct line from his experience treating Brown and other patients like him as motivation to continue advancing cancer research.
“I moved from clinical practice, where I was treating patients, to clinical development at MSD because I wanted to help discover and develop new and more effective treatments that could help patients,” says Dr. Rubin. “My friendship with Howard is a constant reminder of why I do this work. We must continue to follow the science and research new therapies that can help patients fight cancer.”
Celebrating the life of trailblazing cardiovascular researcher Dr. Arthur Patchett
Over the course of his career with MSD, Dr. Patchett changed the treatment paradigm for cardiovascular disease
January 11, 2023
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The ongoing crusade against cardiovascular disease wouldn’t be where it is today without the breakthrough research of Dr. Arthur Patchett, who retired from MSD in 2000 as vice president of medicinal chemistry. He had been with the company for 44 years.
Dr. Patchett passed away at the age of 93 in December 2022 after a storied career that led to some of the most significant medical innovations of the 20th century. His career began with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Princeton University and his studies as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cambridge. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University, followed by a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before joining our company as a research chemist in 1957.
Enduring impact in our work for people with heart disease
As head of MSD’s medicinal chemistry team, Dr. Patchett was instrumental in the synthesis and development of several important advancements in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, including the first statin to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The breakthroughs Dr. Patchett helped discover ultimately became some of the most widely used treatments in the world. He was also an early pioneer in structure-based drug design, which continues to be a foundational element of modern drug discovery.
“Art’s seminal achievements have an enduring impact and are an inspiration to us all as we seek to build upon his work to further improve treatment options for people with heart disease,” said Dean Li, president, MSD Research Labs.
Dr. Patchett received the MSD Directors’ Scientific Award in 1987 and 1989
Dr. Patchett received the NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2007, and in 2011 was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. In 2001, the Arthur Allan Patchett Professorship in Organic Chemistry was established at Princeton University in recognition of his distinguished career at MSD.
What everyone needs to know about one of the most common types of cancer
January 6, 2023
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In 2020, it was estimated that more than 2 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer, changing their lives and setting them on a path that they likely didn’t anticipate and that no one wants to travel. MSD is fighting for these patients and their families by advancing research and fostering greater awareness and understanding of the disease.
Here are five facts about lung cancer that we think everyone needs to know.
01.
Every person with lung cancer deserves compassion and support.
People with lung cancer face social stigma if they have smoked in the past. But, the truth is, there is no room for blame. Every person diagnosed with lung cancer experiences similar kinds of challenges as anyone who learns they have cancer. People with lung cancer are worthy of all the compassion and support their families, care teams and the wider cancer community can provide to help them stand against this disease.
02.
It takes a village to navigate life with lung cancer.
When coping with a lung cancer diagnosis, it’s important to build a circle of support that includes the oncologist, health care teams, family and friends.
Connecting with others can provide a sense of support and comfort to help patients through everything that goes into managing this disease.
"Life for people with lung cancer seems like it’s completely broken and changed – days are full of doctor appointments and tests. Living with lung cancer seems to become the new normal."
Dr. Cathy Pietanza, an oncologist and distinguished scientist at MSD Research Laboratories
03.
There’s no one type of person who develops lung cancer.
Lung cancer strikes both men and women. While it is mostly diagnosed in older people, younger people can develop the disease. In fact, in 2020, more than 285,000 cases of lung cancer were estimated to be diagnosed worldwide among people 54 years and younger.
04.
There are multiple risk factors for lung cancer, including some outside our control.
Smoking is the greatest risk factor for developing lung cancer, but there are others as well, including having a family history of the disease and exposure to certain environmental substances.
Environmental risks include
Radon gas
Exposure to asbestos, second-hand smoke and other carcinogens in the air, such as arsenic, chromium and nickel
05.
Scientific advances are making an impact in lung cancer.
Over the past decade, scientific advances have helped lead to more survivors.
How we’re prioritizing diversity in clinical trials and why it’s so important
New team augments ongoing efforts to increase participation from underrepresented communities in clinical trials to improve health equity
December 14, 2022
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Different people may have different reactions to the same medicines and vaccines based on their age, gender, weight, race, ethnicity, geography or other factors. That’s why we’re committed to enrolling a diverse body of participants in our clinical trials. To help us do that, we’ve recently augmented our ongoing efforts by creating a new team dedicated to diversity & inclusion in clinical trials.
“We’re focused on how we can inform and encourage underrepresented communities to participate in clinical trials,” said Adrelia Allen, senior director, clinical trial diversity and lead of the new team. “It means we must expand and strengthen our community relationships to build trust and engagement.”
The newly expanded team strives to do just that.
Why is diversity in clinical trials so important?
Clinical trials are research studies designed to learn more about how our bodies respond to drugs or other treatments. When clinical trial volunteers are diverse, these studies can show if the treatments are safe and work well for people from all different communities. They also help researchers better understand patterns of difference in health and illness based on different backgrounds.
What is MSD doing to increase access and inclusion in clinical trials?
Over the last five years, we’ve worked to help historically underrepresented communities access our clinical trials. For example, we:
Implemented a new process that requires diversity plans (actionable steps) across all late-stage clinical trials.
Prioritized selection of U.S. sites in diverse communities by using census data.
Developed various partnerships with community organizations, colleges and universities, and professional organizations to expand outreach to people from different genders, races, ethnicities and sexual orientations.
Invested in training and tools for researchers, our teams, clinicians and others at clinical trial sites to address the need for broader clinical trial access.
Our approach is working. In 2022, approximately 50% of our clinical trial patients were from diverse backgrounds – both in the U.S. and globally.
But we need to do more. Our diversity & inclusion in clinical trials team is focused on increasing access to clinical trials in the U.S. and will expand those efforts globally.
“With the bigger team and the support of many people across our company who are passionate about this work, we’re making important progress. We’ll also be able to drive new health innovations and help overcome serious health care challenges – for everyone.”
In Burkina Faso, a personal mission to make a difference in one community
MSD colleagues found non-profit to provide critical resources for a village in one of the poorest countries in the world
November 28, 2022
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Challenging life experiences united two MSD colleagues — Jules Millogo and Cathy Hoath — on a mission to create opportunities and break the cycle of poverty in the small village of Konkourona, in the West African country of Burkina Faso.
Homelessness, hunger and illness in Konkourona
Konkourona is where Millogo, director, medical affairs, global vaccines, grew up with extremely limited access to health care, education, clean water and the bare necessities. It’s also where he witnessed six of his siblings pass away from preventable diseases. Millogo’s father was a strong believer in education and sent him to attend the nearest school in another village, which was hours away from Konkourona on foot.
Despite experiencing much communal trauma growing up, Millogo graduated from medical school and began his career in a Burkina Faso province far from Konkourona, serving as the only doctor for a population of 250,000.
“I somehow managed to overcome bouts of homelessness, hunger and illness from infectious diseases that often come with extreme poverty,” said Millogo. “I grew up knowing that I needed to make a difference in Konkourona and bring opportunities and hope to the people living there.”
Forming Konkourona Alliance Foundation (KAFO) to fight for opportunity and equity
When Millogo joined MSD, he met Cathy Hoath, senior director of regulatory affairs international, vaccines. Hoath was born in Booth Memorial Hospital for Unwed Mothers in Philadelphia, after her teenage birth mother was thrown out of her parents’ home and was unable to find a job or apartment. That experience fuels Hoath’s drive to fight for equity and opportunities — for women, children and all who want to create better lives for themselves and their communities in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2019, during a meeting with the World Health Organization to register our company’s Ebola Zaire vaccine in the countries at highest risk in Africa, Millogo and Hoath began discussing ways they could support development in Konkourona. A few months later, they co-founded the non-profit organization Konkourona Alliance Foundation (KAFO), Inc.
“It was the perfect convergence of my professional and personal worlds, giving me the chance to fight for greater opportunity and equity for some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Cathy Hoath
Because remote villages like Konkourona are often referred to in development efforts as “the last mile,” they named their effort “The First Mile Development Program.” The people of Konkourona are KAFO’s highest priorities.
KAFO builds foundation for education
Millogo and Hoath have met many like-minded people — both within our company and beyond — who have become supporters of KAFO since its founding. And they’ve made good progress in Konkourona.
New classroom with desks and textbooks for each child
KAFO has built three new classrooms — reducing class sizes from approximately 90 to 45 students — as well as an office and housing for teachers. It also renovated an existing building for use as a library.
Approximately 400 students are now receiving assistance, from books and tutoring to tuition and bicycles so older students can make the two-hour journey to the closest upper-level school.
Students are making educational progress
Previously, only one or two students per year progressed to middle school. Now, in just a couple of years, over 80 students are continuing their education at middle school and beyond.
“In 2020, we began providing books for each child because there were not nearly enough. We also opened the school at night — the only place in the village with electricity — and offered tutoring services. That year, 20 children passed the middle school entrance exam — which is unheard of in any school in this sub-region,” said Hoath. “In the past two years, 63 additional students have progressed to middle school.”
Eric is a mentor to the younger children and a role model for what can be achieved with an opportunity and hard work.
One of those students is Eric, who couldn’t afford tuition for middle school. His father died, and he had to help his mother, so he got a job on Millogo’s brother’s farm. Now, through KAFO’s sponsorship, he’s going to high school. He’s also helping to sustain the program long term by mentoring younger children and working with the team on the ground to secure books and bicycles.
He’s now thinking about what he may want to study in college — a dream that would not have existed just several years ago.
“We have high hopes for this thoughtful young man,” said Millogo.
Improving access to health care and clean water
The maternal and child mortality rates in Burkina Faso are among the highest in the world. In addition to a lack of health care resources, the villagers also had very little access to clean water.
“One of the biggest problems we face in Konkourona is water-borne diseases,” said Millogo. “People drink water from wherever they can find it — open ponds or other sources contaminated with human and animal waste and other pathogens.”
Clean water is now widely available for drinking and washing
Working closely with the Mami Siara Na Association, a community-led organization created in 2019 to partner with KAFO to lead and sustain development efforts on the ground, the team has now constructed three water towers, three community fountains, a health center for mothers and children, a separate facility for primary care, a pharmacy, latrines, housing for health care workers and an incinerator.
“Providing access to clean water in Konkourona is practically a revolution.”
Jules Millogo
“And the health care facility, where we can provide critical maternal care, immunizations, and primary services for children and community members — like caring for illnesses, wounds, etcetera — will have a significant impact for this community in many ways,” said Millogo.
Providing economic development and hope for a better future
Konkourona’s new — and first — pharmacy
The improvements in education and health care have sparked local economic development as well. There are new jobs in Konkourona to ensure continued access to education, health care, water and sanitation, not to mention those related to construction activities.
Over the next five years, Millogo and Hoath plan to build a middle school, a technical school and a high school, as well as housing for teachers in these schools. They also plan to expand the health center.
“We’re all in on this program and learning every day how to do new things — things we don’t have experience in — to make progress in Konkourona,” said Millogo. “We’re fortunate that we’ve received so much support from so many people to help make these important visions a reality. And, we’re just getting started.”
Millogo plants one of the 1,100 native shade and fruit trees KAFO donated to provide an alternate food source and replenish what has been lost over the past few decades.
Worker sets up almost $500,000 of equipment and supplies in one of the new health center buildings. Green barriers surround two of the 1,100 trees KAFO planted earlier in the year as part of a reforestation effort.
Villagers celebrate the opening of the new — and first — health center.
At a celebration for the new health center, Millogo expresses gratitude to the people all over the world who are helping support KAFO's efforts in Konkourona.
New latrines built around the health center will help keep the environment clean by encouraging people to transition toward better sanitation.
The librarian in Konkourona's first library talks about the variety of books are now available to villagers. Previously, the only type of book available in the village was a small supply of textbooks.
Konkourona consists of roughly 4,000 subsistence farming inhabitants, who use nearly all crops or livestock to maintain the farmer and the farmer's family. This farmer is milling grain for storage.
Walking is the primary form of transportation in the village, but the fortunate families have bikes. Through sponsorships, students now have access to bikes to make the two-hour journey to upper level schools in other villages.
Donations from Care and Share Thrift Shoppes will help hundreds in Konkourona (left to right: Sarah Bergin, executive director of Care and Share Thrift Shoppes, Hoath and Millogo)
Innovation
How antimicrobial resistance is threatening one of our most critical health tools
Why antibiotics are a critical medicine and how we can help protect them
November 8, 2022
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Imagine you’re driving and get a flat tire. It’s inconvenient, but that’s why there’s a spare tire in your trunk. You change the flat and you’re on your way. Problem solved.
Now consider the situation if you didn’t have a spare tire handy. Maybe you keep driving, thinking you can make it home. Maybe you have a harder time controlling your car and crash. A small inconvenience becomes an even bigger problem with even bigger implications.
Like with spare tires, we want antibiotics available if — and when — we need them. Because our health can depend on them.
Now, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is threatening our antibiotics. If not addressed, it could mean we lose their benefits.
Why should you care about antibiotics?
Antibiotics have been a standard part of modern medicine for decades — likely your whole life. They’re a type of antimicrobial, or a medicine that treats or prevents infectious diseases caused by certain pathogens.
Specifically, antibiotics treat bacterial infections, and they hold a more important role than you may realize.
Antibiotics revolutionized health care by helping people to receive important treatments every day. Without antibiotics, we wouldn’t be able to manage potential infections related to surgeries, organ transplants and cancer treatments.
But AMR is spreading, and it’s threatening the future of antibiotics.
What’s AMR and why does it matter?
AMR is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Pathogens, like bacteria and fungi, naturally evolve to survive antimicrobial treatments, like antibiotics.
But now, resistance to antibiotics is developing faster and continues to pick up speed.
AMR can easily spread with remarkable speed through people, animals and the environment. It doesn’t just threaten our health and antibiotic use. AMR can impact food safety, global security and even economic stability.
How can we slow the threat of AMR?
Antibiotics, like many other helpful tools, aren’t always top of mind. Nobody thinks about when they’ll need to use their basin wrench until their faucet starts leaking.
But soon, if we’re not careful, we could reach for antibiotics and find that they’re not able to help us when we need them most.
That’s why the time to act is now — and you can help. While it will take multiple solutions and a collaborative effort to address this threat, we can all play a role.
First and foremost, you can do your part to prevent infections that require the use of antibiotics, for example, by washing hands and preparing food hygienically.
And be diligent about using antibiotics appropriately. That means using them only as prescribed, only for certain infections, and following doctors’ orders.
Help us fight the threat of AMR to one of the most important health tools in our public health arsenal.
Moving quickly to help support efforts to address the Ebola outbreak in Uganda
See how our people are planning to produce investigational vaccine for an urgent global health need
November 4, 2022
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We’re proud of our legacy in collaborating with others around the world who join together in the fight against Ebola Zaire.
With the advent of the Ebola Sudan virus outbreak in Uganda, our research and manufacturing teams in West Point, Pennsylvania, are mobilizing to contribute to this global health need. We plan to produce and donate vials of investigational candidate Sudan ebolavirus vaccine to IAVI, a global nonprofit scientific research organization, for further clinical research use in its ongoing Sudan ebolavirus vaccine development program that will help support World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) efforts to address the outbreak. Our collaborations with IAVI, WHO and other global organizations are a crucial component of these initiatives.
“I’m so proud of the many teams across our company who are working urgently to produce the investigational vaccine for IAVI so it can be used to support the research efforts against the current outbreak in Uganda,” said Beth-Ann Coller, distinguished scientist, clinical research. “We are honored to collaborate with IAVI and commend the leadership and courage of those in Uganda who are fighting this outbreak.”
We remain committed to working in collaboration with WHO and other health organizations to find ways we may support initiatives to address Ebola outbreaks.
MSD recognized on Fortune’s 2022 Change the World list
Recognition highlights our continued focus on expanding access
October 25, 2022
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At MSD, we’re committed to improving the health and well-being of people worldwide — it’s what has driven our business forward for more than 130 years. And it’s this commitment that has landed MSD on Fortune’s 2022 Change the World list. The list recognizes a select group of companies that are using their business expertise, resources and energy to address unmet needs around the globe.
We’re proud to be recognized this year for our work in expanding access and a focus on underserved countries.
With a focus on equitable access, our dedicated team continues to expand our impact to help address today’s most pressing health challenges.
Legacy of leadership
Our company has been named to Fortune’s Change the World list for the third time in five years:
2022: For ensuring equitable access to HPV vaccines
“Our commitment and efforts in this space reflect MSD’s distinguished legacy of operating responsibly and creating value for society. Importantly, we know that even more needs to be done to advance health equity, and our team is inspired and passionate about finding new ways to bring our medicines and vaccines to people and communities everywhere.”
Further advance health equity by reaching 30 million people in low- and middle-income countries and in U.S. underserved populations with our social investments, by 2025
75%
Reach at least 75% of countries around the world annually with our products
100M
Enable 100 million more people to access our innovative portfolio globally, through access strategies, solutions and partnerships, by 2025
Learn more about our ESG approach
Which helps propel and enable our business strategy in ways that make us a better company – and a better corporate citizen.
Our partnerships help make vaccines accessible worldwide
How our colleagues are collaborating with organizations to improve global vaccination rates
October 11, 2022
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Providing vaccines to some of the hardest-to-reach places around the world
We’re steadfast and dedicated to discovering, developing, supplying and delivering vaccines to help prevent diseases around the world. However, we alone can’t achieve the broadest possible access and distribution to our vaccines.
That’s why we work with governments, international health and development organizations, donor groups, nongovernmental organizations, and others to create new ways to improve vaccine access. And because every community is different, we commit to working with organizations that are a part of those communities to help make certain diseases a thing of the past.
We’ve made great progress, but we know we can do more.
"We’re resolute in our goal to ensure the advancement and delivery of medicines and vaccines to help save and improve lives around the world.”
Andrew “Drew” Otoo, PharmD
President, global vaccines
“Through our various partnerships, I’ve witnessed the power of the private sector in bringing affordable and accessible medical services, treatments and diagnostics directly to people globally,” said Dr. Otoo.
We’re committed to fighting vaccine-preventable diseases and boosting global vaccination rates
We have teams around the world working to better understand and help solve the unique challenges communities face in securing access to the right medicines and vaccines with life-saving potential.
“To expand our reach, we need to reimagine how we do business. Through partnerships, we’re figuring out new models to build valued customer relationships, develop new access-focused models and reach new populations that otherwise wouldn’t have had access to our vaccines,” said Abdullahi Sheriff, associate vice president, market access, MSD.
Our global vaccine partnerships at work
Ghana
To expand vaccine supply in this West African country, we’re partnering with mPharma, a health care data and analytics service organization and the fastest growing provider of fully integrated health care services, medicines, diagnostics and vaccines in Africa.
“I’m proud of the work by mPharma,” said Dr. Otoo, who is Ghanaian-American. “There is much work to be done, but with leaders like these, it’s impossible not to get excited about what lies ahead in advancing the delivery of medicines, medical services, diagnostics and surveillance with dignity and pride across Africa.”
Brazil
Our partnership with Dr. Consulta, a company that offers access to high-quality health care at a low cost in Brazil, started as a trial to understand if it was possible to reach new population segments.
We were delighted to witness improved access to vaccines through their channels.
“If a channel does not exist, an individual has no means to get a vaccine or medicine. Partners can play an important role in addressing these access challenges,” said David Marschner, executive director, market access, MSD.
“It is our hope that insights shared from these novel partnerships will support innovative solutions that will contribute to resilient and sustainable vaccination programs worldwide.”
Southeast Asia
We’re also working with and exploring a range of opportunities in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and other locations to reach people where we have not yet supplied our vaccines.
We look forward to forging new partnerships in support of our purpose of using the power of leading-edge science to help save and improve lives around the world.
