Merck Expands Excipients Portfolio, Adding Polymers for Sustained Release Injectables

Darmstadt, Germany, July 12, 2016 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, has entered into an agreement with PCAS S.A. (Longjumeau, France) to expand Merck’s excipients portfolio. Under the agreement, Merck will be the exclusive, global distributor of the Expansorb® line of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers.

The portfolio will include 38 polymers for sustained release of small molecule and selected peptide injectables, allowing customers to optimize and precisely control release kinetics of final drug products. The ability to better control and sustain the release of drugs allows for delivery via reduced numbers of injections with the same therapeutic efficacy, improving patient comfort and compliance.

“The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly interested in controlling the release of small molecules and selected peptides delivered via injection,” said Andrew Bulpin, Head of Process Solutions at the life science business of Merck. “The addition of the Expansorb® polymers to our broad portfolio of excipients improves drug developers’ ability to protect molecules with short in vivo half-lives and achieve the desired therapeutic effect while enhancing patient comfort and compliance.”