At Merck, our commitment to access to reproductive health has encompassed our research and development of contraceptive products over many years.

We are working to create a more sustainable business model that seeks to help improve access to our products for the people who need them most. Our partnerships with governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental development organizations help to support and implement programs that improve access and promote capacity building.

Research & Development

Merck has a strong legacy of research and development of contraceptive products that have supported women's family planning efforts. Over the years, companies that are now part of Merck have been responsible for the development of a number of contraceptive options, including a single-rod contraceptive implant, once-monthly vaginal contraceptive ring, and a progestin-only oral contraceptive.

Sustainable Business Model to Promote Access

Merck is committed to making its contraceptive products available to women around the world. We take a comprehensive approach to access that includes high quality manufacturing and supply chain management; extensive registration and WHO prequalification of our family planning products; responsible commercialization that incorporates training and capacity building; and community investment.

In least developed countries that have high rates of maternal mortality and low rates of contraceptive prevalence, Merck's Institutional Family Planning Services division has created a sustainable business model to promote access to health programs. These activities are focused primarily on sub-Saharan Africa and select markets in Asia and Latin America.

High Quality Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management

Merck works to ensure that we have sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet short-, medium- and long-term availability for our contraceptive products for reproductive health programs conducted by governments, nongovernment organizations and other customers.

Registration & PreQualification

Merck seeks to ensure global access to our contraceptive products by obtaining and maintaining up-to-date health registrations around the world. In addition to existing and in-process registrations, numerous registrations are planned for various products at the various income levels.

WHO PreQualification

In order to facilitate institutional purchases of family planning products and provide quality assurance, Merck has sought WHO pre-qualification for EXLUTON (lynestrenol oral contraceptive), IMPLANON (etonogestrel implant) and MARVELON (desogestrel - ethinyl estradiol).

Commercialization

The success of reproductive health programs in the developing world relies upon the close cooperation and coordination of many partners, including pharmaceutical companies like Merck that discover, develop and manufacture contraceptive products; country governments that seek to increase the use of contraception; international, bilateral and multilateral donors that finance the purchase of reproductive health commodities and invest in service delivery management and implementation; nongovernmental organizations that support implementation of such programs; and healthcare professionals and health extension workers who counsel and provide care for women around the world.

As one of many partners, we take a number of steps to support the implementation of family planning programs and to help increase access to our contraceptive products by those who need them:

Requests for Quotation

Merck receives and responds to "Requests for Quotation" from developing country governments seeking supplies for their own programs (financed by government funds, by multilateral organizations like the World Bank or through bilateral aid); from donor country aid agencies (e.g., USAID) seeking to purchase reproductive health commodities that will be donated to programs in one or more countries; from multilateral agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), donating to one or more countries; or from nongovernmental agencies seeking supplies for programs that they manage in one or more countries.

In responding to these requests, Merck adheres to the specific guidelines of each proposal and acts in full compliance with local and international laws and requirements.

Pricing

Merck has a worldwide tiered pricing policy for its products. For contraceptive product pricing, we consider a nation's level of economic development and other relevant factors, including the type of family planning programs implemented by the local government.

In upper-middle and high-income countries, Merck provides its products at prices that take into account the innovation and value the products represent. We are committed to making our contraceptive products available to the public sector. We also offer discounts to organizations that serve women of all income levels, such as Planned Parenthood affiliates, so that the women who rely on their services have routine access to contraceptive options that include nondaily and long-acting reversible methods.

In order to facilitate the purchase of its products for use in institutional family planning programs in low-income and low-middle income countries, Merck prices its reproductive health commodities at its lowest tier access prices when selling such products to qualified buyers.

We believe that our pricing approach will contribute to improved and sustainable availability while taking into account Merck's need to continue to invest in research, development, production, and the training and education necessary to help ensure appropriate counseling and use of our products.

In June 2011, Merck announced that it was establishing a lower price for IMPLANON. Through this new approach, Merck is working to increase affordability of IMPLANON by establishing a new lower access price for low-income countries and is in discussions with the United Nations Foundation to utilize the Pledge Guarantee for Health, to implement a financing mechanism to help donor funds go further to increase access to contraceptives. Donors, governments and NGOs will be eligible for the access price for IMPLANON in these countries. This is consistent with Merck's continuing commitment to increase access to IMPLANON in resource-limited countries through community investment, access pricing, medical education, and engagement with local ministries of health, the local and global development community, donors, governments and NGOs. More information is available here.