Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H.

What Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H. does

Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H. is the Austrian operating subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Incorporated in Vienna as a private limited company (Ges.m.b.H., FN 112226p), the entity is ultimately controlled by Merck & Co., Inc. through the Dutch intermediate holding MSD Human Health Holding B.V. It operates three integrated sites — two in Vienna (headquarters at Wiedner Gürtel 9-13 and the Intervet GesmbH veterinary manufacturing facility in Floridsdorf) and one in Krems an der Donau (MSD Animal Health Danube Biotech GmbH, focused on vaccine manufacture) — employing approximately 950 people in Austria and contributing roughly €326 million annually to Austrian GDP. The subsidiary markets 91 products in Austria, split evenly between 46 human-health and 45 animal-health offerings, and runs approximately 50 clinical studies per year across around 80 Austrian centers.

The product portfolio centers on proprietary, patent-protected therapies: Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the PD-1 inhibitor anchoring the immuno-oncology franchise with 46 approved indications across 22 tumor types; WINREVAIR (sotatercept) for pulmonary arterial hypertension, whose Phase III ZENITH trial showed a 76% reduction in major morbidity and mortality in high-risk patients; Gardasil 9 for HPV prevention; and additional prescription medicines including Prevymis, Isentress, Bridion, Januvia, Pneumovax, Noxafil, Temodal, Cancidas, Zerbaxa, and Recarbrio. The Krems facility also serves as an export manufacturing hub for veterinary vaccines distributed worldwide. Technology differentiation rests on small-molecule and biologics R&D, vaccine platform expertise built over more than a century, and proprietary immuno-oncology know-how licensed from the global parent, which itself invests $30.5 billion annually in R&D with 21,800 research staff.

Commercially, MSD Austria operates a traditional pharmaceutical sales model: direct field sales to hospitals and healthcare institutions, wholesale distribution through pharmacies for prescription medicines, and a separate veterinary distribution channel via Intervet GesmbH. Pricing is set within Austria's socialized reimbursement system rather than published publicly. The company engages healthcare professionals through the MSD Connect digital portal, targeted disease-awareness campaigns (HPV, breast cancer, pulmonary hypertension), professional events such as Oncology Days, and innovation awards including Join4Care (€30,000 prize for oncology projects) and the HPV-Förderpreis. At the parent level, MSD is pursuing a series of pipeline-expanding moves — a proposed Terns Pharmaceuticals acquisition, contract manufacturing with TheraNym Biologics ($150-175 million), Sutro Biopharma ADC collaborations exceeding $1 billion in cumulative payments, an Otsuka TP53 Y220C stabilizer program, and participation in the FORTIFY European Health Data Space consortium — that will continue to shape the Austrian subsidiary's product mix and manufacturing scope.

Name

Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H.

Legal name

Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H.

Website

https://msd.at

Company type

Public

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H. is the Austrian subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), developing, manufacturing, and distributing prescription pharmaceuticals and vaccines for human and animal health across three sites in Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (4242), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Care Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vaccine Programs & Tendering (Government/NGO, Eradication Campaigns) (HLAMAKAO), Vaccines & Cold-Chain Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAG), Clinical Development & Regulatory for Vaccines (trials, pharmacovigilance, lot release) (HLAAAEAK), Veterinary Vaccine & Biologics Distributors (HLAMAIAC)

Keywords

• Prescription pharmaceuticals
• Human vaccines
• Animal health products
• Immuno-oncology therapies
• Biopharmaceutical manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Products: Revenue generated from sale of prescription medicines and vaccines across multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, infectious diseases, pulmonary hypertension, and vaccines

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H. (MSD Austria) develops, manufactures, and distributes prescription pharmaceuticals and vaccines for human and animal health. Its portfolio spans oncology (Keytruda), pulmonary hypertension (WINREVAIR), infectious diseases, HPV prevention (Gardasil 9), and veterinary medicines, supported by three Austrian production sites in Vienna and Krems.

Product overview

MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) is a global biopharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and digital health solutions. The company's product portfolio includes Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for cancer immunotherapy, WINREVAIR for pulmonary arterial hypertension, and Gardasil 9 for HPV protection. MSD operates a digital platform called MSD Connect for healthcare professionals. The company has approximately 91 marketed products in Austria (46 Human Health, 45 Animal Health) spanning oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, pulmonary hypertension, and cardio-metabolic disorders. Production activities for human and animal health are conducted at three Austrian sites in Vienna and Krems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MSD Animal Health: The animal health division of MSD focusing on veterinary medicines, vaccines, and animal healthcare products.
• MSD Connect
• Join4Care
• HPV-Förderpreis

Products and services

• Keytruda (pembrolizumab) A PD-1 receptor antagonist used as immuno-oncology therapy for cancer treatment, with 46 approved indications across 22 tumour types globally.
• WINREVAIR (sotatercept) Treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), addressing elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary vascular system.
• Gardasil 9 HPV vaccine for prevention of human papillomavirus-related diseases including cervical cancer.
• Prevymis Antiviral medication available as filmtablets and concentrate for infusion for prevention of cytomegalovirus infection.
• Isentress HIV medication (integrase inhibitor) available in 400mg and 600mg filmtablet formulations.
• Bridion 100 mg/ml injection solution for reversal of neuromuscular blockade used in surgical settings.
• Januvia Medication for treatment of type 2 diabetes.
• Pneumovax Pneumococcal vaccine injection solution in pre-filled syringe for prevention of pneumococcal disease.
• Noxafil Antifungal medication available as oral suspension, concentrate for infusion, and gastro-resistant tablets.
• Temodal Chemotherapy medication for brain cancer treatment, available as powder for infusion and capsules.
• Cancidas Antifungal (echinocandin) medication for treatment of invasive fungal infections.
• Zerbaxa Antibiotic combination product (ceftolozane/tazobactam) for treatment of complicated bacterial infections.
• Recarbrio Antibiotic product (imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam) for treatment of complicated urinary tract and intra-abdominal infections.
• MSD Connect Web portal exclusively for healthcare professionals providing medical knowledge, specialized webinars, virtual trainings, and downloadable materials related to MSD products.
• Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines Animal health products for companion animals and livestock, including vaccines and anti-infectives, manufactured by Intervet Ges.m.b.H. and MSD Animal Health Danube Biotech GmbH in Austria and exported worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 550 million people reached with medicines and vaccines globally in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AIM ImmunoTech / UPMCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Collaboration on Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating Ampligen in combination with pembrolizumab for recurrent ovarian cancer. MSD provided financial support through a grant and collaborated on the trial showing 50% objective response rate.
• FORTIFY Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 202634-partner public-private initiative funded by the Innovative Health Initiative and aligned with the European Health Data Space. MSD is part of this consortium aimed at enabling trusted secondary use of health data while protecting intellectual property and trade secrets. The project runs from May 2026 to April 2029.
• TheraNym Biologics (Aurobindo Pharma subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Contract manufacturing agreement where TheraNym Biologics committed $150-175 million to build a greenfield drug substance manufacturing facility for MSD. Facility will feature mammalian cell culture bioreactors of around 60,000 litres capacity for biologics production.
• Janssen PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Partnership in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension market development with Phase III ZENITH trial results for WINREVAIR showing significant treatment outcomes.
• Terns PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Proposed acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC at $53.00 per share in cash. Monteverde & Associates PC investigating the deal for potential class action.
• Sutro BiopharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Partnership involving ADC pipeline development and manufacturing rights. Sutro Biopharma received approximately $1.016 billion in cumulative collaboration payments through December 2025 including payments from option exercises.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Collaboration with scientists from Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to identify new TP53 Y220C mutant stabilizers for cancer treatment.
• NIIMBL (National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Partnership with NIIMBL and other pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Merck KGaA, and MilliporeSigma to develop standardized ontologies for biopharmaceutical manufacturing data interoperability.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roche: Swiss global pharmaceutical leader in oncology and immunology with a comparable branded specialty pharma portfolio and biologics manufacturing footprint. Competes directly with MSD's Keytruda franchise in immuno-oncology indications.
• GSK: British multinational pharmaceutical company with parallel portfolio in vaccines, specialty medicines, and HIV/infectious disease treatments. Comparable business model with healthcare professional sales motion and vaccine manufacturing operations.
• Novartis: Swiss-headquartered global pharmaceutical company with overlapping therapeutic focus on oncology, immuno-oncology, and specialty care medicines. Comparable business model of developing and distributing branded prescription pharmaceuticals through healthcare provider channels.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb: Global pharmaceutical company focused on oncology, immunology, and cardiovascular diseases. Direct competitor in immuno-oncology (PD-1/PD-L1 space) and shares MSD's specialty pharmaceutical development and commercialization model.
• Sanofi: French global pharmaceutical company with strong vaccines franchise (Sanofi Pasteur) and specialty care portfolio. Directly comparable in vaccines manufacturing scale and human health pharmaceutical distribution across European markets including Austria.
• AstraZeneca: British-Swedish pharmaceutical major with parallel focus on oncology, vaccines, and specialty therapeutics. Operates similar global R&D-driven model with comparable commercial reach and product portfolio overlap with MSD.
• Pfizer: Global biopharmaceutical company with comparable oncology, vaccines, and specialty pharmaceutical portfolios. Operates through similar direct sales to hospitals, physicians, and wholesalers, with a comparable enterprise sales model targeting healthcare professionals.
• Eli Lilly: US-headquartered global pharmaceutical company with comparable specialty pharmaceutical portfolio across oncology, diabetes, and immunology. Operates similar direct-to-healthcare-provider commercial model and branded innovator pharma pipeline.

Regional players

• Bayer: German multinational with a pharmaceutical division focused on cardiology, oncology, and women's health, plus an Animal Health business. Comparable DACH region presence with both human prescription pharmaceuticals and veterinary products.
• Boehringer Ingelheim: Privately-held German pharmaceutical company with strong respiratory, cardiometabolic, and animal health (Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health) divisions. Regional peer in the DACH market with overlapping animal health vaccine manufacturing and human pharma presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/msdoesterreich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msd-oesterreich

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H.