MSD has set itself the global goal of investing in the major medical issues of our time. We focus on conditions that seriously hinder people’s functioning or are even life-threatening, and we focus on finding solutions for diseases that are not yet resolved and that require new medicines.
Synthetic or organic?
The production of a synthetic medicine, such as aspirin, goes through a number of defined chemical process steps. Relatively simple ingredients are used and the molecules have a uniform, predictable structure that are easy to characterize. During the manufacturing process, the chemical medicines are tested about 50 times to check that they are of the right quality. The drugs are mainly presented in tablet or capsule form.
Organic medicine
The production of biological medicines is more complicated. The proteins that make up these drugs are grown in culture vessels. The active substance is made by or comes from a living organism. The molecules have a complex three-dimensional structure, which makes differences easier and more difficult to characterize. Before these drugs can be used, they must be properly purified and monitored. That is why biological medicines are tested 250 times during the production process. This makes these drugs expensive. Most biologics are liquid, temperature sensitive, and they are given by injection or infusion.
Patent
New medicines are initially covered by a patent. This patent protection lasts 20 years and can be divided into several phases. At the start of the patent, the new medicine is tested for effectiveness (it does what it should do) and safety (with as few side effects as possible). First with a small group of people, later the test groups get bigger and bigger. This (pre-) clinical research will take about ten years. When all studies have been successfully completed, the authorities will check the findings and the medicine will be allowed access to Europe. After that, it is examined in the Netherlands whether the medicine is eligible for reimbursement. This phase takes approximately two years.