Merck Announces New Spin-Off Company Name: Organon & Co. Revives Legacy Brand

Just as Pfizer launched the Upjohn brand, Merck & Co. also announced similar news on the 12th: the name of the newly spun-off company has been confirmed as Organon & Co.

Many senior pharmaceutical professionals are familiar with the name Organon. The company was acquired by Schering-Plough in 2007, and two years later, following the merger of Schering-Plough and Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD), it became an asset of MSD.

In the early hours of the 12th, Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Merck & Co., Inc., officially announced the news to global employees, unveiling “Organon” as the new company name along with a new logo. He stated that this traditional brand name would instill greater trust, emphasizing that the new company is built upon Organon’s commitment to innovation in women’s health.

However, it has not been announced whether the Chinese name will still be "Organon."

New Organon Logo

On February 5, Merck & Co., Inc. announced its split into two growth-oriented companies. Merck will continue to advance toward becoming a leading R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company, primarily focusing on its current key growth pillars: oncology, vaccines, hospital products, and animal health.

The newly spun-off company will unlock potential in women’s health, off-patent brands, and biosimilars, particularly in fertility and contraception, pursuing global leadership and sustainable growth.

FolviZe reaffirmed this, stating that the new Organon company will inherit Organon’s commitment to women’s health, while going beyond reproduction and contraception to address unmet healthcare needs of women worldwide. The new company will also focus on MSD’s important biosimilar business and maximize the value of MSD’s historical product portfolio in the areas of pain, dermatology, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases.

▌The Past and Present of Organon: The Origin Company of “Keytruda”

Many newcomers may be unfamiliar with the brand Organon. Here, Dami will provide a brief introduction for everyone.

Organon was originally a subsidiary of the Akzo Nobel Group, founded in 1923. It is dedicated to the research, development, and production of prescription drugs in four major therapeutic areas: gynecology, psychiatry, cardiovascular diseases, and immunological disorders, making it the largest research-based pharmaceutical company in the Netherlands.

Previous Organon logo (the top left features the logo of its parent company, AkzoNobel)

In 1992, the former State Family Planning Commission of China signed a cooperation agreement with the Queen of the Netherlands. As a result, Organon NV (part of the AkzoNobel Group) and Nanjing No. 2 Pharmaceutical Factory (later renamed Nanjing Baijingyu Pharmaceutical Factory) established a joint venture, Nanjing Organon Medical Products Co., Ltd., in the Nanjing High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. The contraceptive pill Marvelon was introduced by Organon. Later, following Bayer’s acquisition of Merck Sharp & Dohme’s over-the-counter (OTC) business, Marvelon became a product under Bayer.

In addition to women’s health, Organon has also been a pioneer in the fields of psychiatry and neurology. It developed the antidepressant Tolvon (mianserin) in 1974 and launched another antidepressant, Remeron (mirtazapine), in 1994. This product was approved for marketing in China in September 2001. Later, Organon jointly promoted Risperdal (risperidone) with Janssen. During that period, the multinational pharmaceutical companies involved in psychiatric medications in China included Organon, Eli Lilly, Wyeth, and Janssen.

Our old friend from MRCLUB, Mr. Zhong Chongyu, once served as the National Sales Manager at Organon. Much of my understanding of this company stems from him.

Organon Internal Communication

Those who follow me on WeChat Moments will likely recall that I have previously shared the covers of internal newsletters from well-known pharmaceutical companies. In the past, nearly every company published such newsletters; however, many have now discontinued them in favor of official WeChat accounts or digital editions. The image above shows the internal newsletter of Organon.

On March 12, 2007, Schering-Plough announced the acquisition of Organon for €11 billion in cash. In addition to gaining Organon’s products in central nervous system and women’s health, the acquisition included multiple drug candidates in Phase II and III clinical trials, among which was KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), the “K drug” that has since brought significant renown to Merck & Co.

As early as 2003, Organon began searching for PD-1 receptor agonists, aiming to dampen immune T cells by activating the PD-1 receptor, thereby treating autoimmune diseases. This approach was contrary to the current strategy in cancer therapy. By 2007, antibody molecules had been obtained; however, by that time, Organon had already been acquired by Schering-Plough.

Two years later, Schering-Plough was acquired by Merck & Co. for $41.1 billion! On November 5, 2009, Merck & Co. announced the completion of its merger with Schering-Plough.

However, whether at Organon, Schering-Plough, or later at Merck & Co. (MSD), “Keytruda” was never given sufficient attention. It remained shelved in the R&D pipeline, its development team was disbanded, and the antibody molecule under investigation was prepared for sale.

It was not until 2010, when Bristol-Myers Squibb’s acquired drug “Opdivo” demonstrated significant potential in early-stage clinical trials, that “Keytruda” garnered attention from Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD). This move not only reshaped the future of MSD but also proved to be a boon for patients.

On February 5, Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD) released its 2019 annual financial report, reporting full-year sales of $46.8 billion. Among this, the annual sales revenue of "Keytruda" reached as high as $11.1 billion, representing a 55% increase.

Although this brand may be unfamiliar to many people today, it indeed has a distinguished history, much like Pfizer’s Upjohn division. Its reintroduction is therefore quite fitting.

Original Title: “Organon” Returns! Merck Announces Name of New Spin-off Company