Merck supports the use of nanotechnology to develop innovative drugs and vaccines that address unmet medical needs.

Nanotechnology broadly describes the use of very small materials ranging from extreme size reduction of normal materials to unique, minute substances such as carbon nanotubes and other exotic materials.

Merck follows advances in nanotechnology because we are always looking for better ways to improve patient care as well as protect the environment and the health and safety of our employees. The testing required for all drugs will ensure that nano-based pharmaceuticals are safe and effective for patient use. Based on our current knowledge of nanoparticles, our existing methods for assessing risks to workers and the environment are valid and our existing controls are well-suited for preventing employee exposures to nanomaterials.

Merck is actively pursuing nanotechnology through internal research and development efforts and external collaborations with academia, biotechnology companies and companies that support various platforms for drug discovery and development of novel therapeutics. Nanotechnology may be used in such applications as therapeutic targets, biomarker indentification, analytical test identification, enhanced drug delivery to specific tissues and tissue compartments, molecular imaging to monitor the fate of therapeutic agents, and the development of novel therapeutic approaches and molecules. For example, Merck coats a new class of experimental drugs (siRNAs) with lipids for efficient delivery to the inside of cells where they are active.

One of Merck's products, EMEND^® (aprepitant), uses a nanoscale milling approach to make the granules very small so they are more easily absorbed in the digestive tract. The Animal Health Division (Intervet) utilizes nanotechnology in their products. As with EMEND, nanoscale milling is used by Intervet for the active ingredient in PANACUR^® (fenbendazole) to produce a stable and more easily re-suspendable formulation.

Additionally, some Coppertone^® products from the Merck Consumer Care Division contain micronized zinc oxide, which provides improved broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection from the suns damaging rays. Nanoparticles of TiO₂ and ZnO have been extensively studied, and current scientific data, including our own studies, demonstrate that these particles do not represent a health concern from skin contact.