Espicom's generics company reports will help you to understand the dynamic and complex issues affecting the business of leading generic industry players. These informative reports provide an insight into the company, covering the structure of the business, the most recent quarterly and annual financial results, information on the company's active product lines and ANDA approvals, along with a review of major developments, such as M&A activity, strategic alliances, and litigation. Merck Generics is a subsidiary division of Merck KGaA, based in Darmstadt, Germany. It has no connection with the US-based Merck & Co. With sales of just over 1.8 billion euros in 2006, generics are a major segment of Merck KGaA's pharmaceutical business, although their relative importance has waned in the wake of Merck's acquisition of Serono.

Merck's generic businesses are not grouped under a single name. The leading subsidiaries are Alphapharm, the leading generic manufacturer in Australia, and Merck Génériques, based in France. Other important subsidiaries include Genpharm, in Canada, and Generics (UK).

Merck is to sell its generic division in 2007. In May 2007, Mylan Laboratories announced a successful bid of 4.9 billion euros, beating a number of other interested parties, namely Actavis, Ranbaxy and Teva. The deal is expected to close during 2007.

The latest generic acquisition for Merck is Prasfarma, a former subsidiary of Almirall Prodesfarma based in Barcelona, Spain. The 20 million euro deal was completed in early 2006.

In 2004, Merck moved its leading US company, Dey, into its generic division, as ‘the basis for strategic reorientation'. Dey is not a generic manufacturer as such, but develops novel delivery systems for off-patent products.