Merck announces name change for its animal-health unit, Intervet/Schering-Plough

Boxmeer, Netherlands

— Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, the animal-health division of Merck, announced today that it will now use the name Merck Animal Health. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the business segment will be known as MSD Animal Health.

“The name change reflects Merck's commitment to animal health and its complementary role to the overall business," says Raul Kohan, president of Merck Animal Health.Merck and Schering-Plough Corp. merged in a $41 billion deal in 2009, following Schering-Plough’s merger with Intervet two years prior.

Later in 2009, Sanofi-Aventis paid Merck $4 billion for 100 percent ownership of Merial, which was formed in 1997 as a joint venture between the two companies.

By 2010, Merial and Intervet/Schering-Plough had announced plans to merge, but those plans were called off in March 2011 because of the “increasing complexity of the proposed transaction.”

Currently, Merck Animal Health is ranked as the second biggest player in the $20 billion animal-health market with annual sales of about $2.9 billion in 2010. Merial is ranked third with about $2.6 billion in annual sales, according to the companies.