Merck Announces That Joseph Romanelli Will Lead Merck Human Health International, Effective August 1, 2022

KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that Joseph Romanelli will lead Human Health International, and join Merck’s Executive Team, effective August 1, 2022. He will report directly to Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck. As previously announced, Arpa Garay leads Human Health Global Marketing, and Jannie Oosthuizen leads Human Health U.S., both also reporting to Davis.

“Joe’s remarkable track record of driving growth, unwavering commitment to keep patients at the center, deep knowledge of the global competitive landscape and passion for Merck’s purpose to save and improve lives make him the ideal leader for our growing and expansive international Human Health business,” said Mr. Davis. “I’m excited to welcome Joe back to Merck, and I am confident that our company and stakeholders will greatly benefit from his leadership, delivery and contributions.”

In this role, Romanelli will have P&L responsibility for Merck’s $22 billion international human health business and lead a team of 14,000 colleagues in more than 75 markets outside of the U.S.

Romanelli returns to Merck after serving as chief executive officer of JiXing Pharmaceuticals, a China-based biopharmaceutical company, since 2021. From 2016 through 2021, Romanelli led Merck’s business in China, based in Shanghai. During his tenure, Merck was one of the fastest growing multinational pharmaceutical businesses in China and China became Merck’s second-largest market. Romanelli joined Merck in 1996 and served in a variety of strategic and operational roles with increasing responsibility and scope. Romanelli received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and his Master’s in Business Administration from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Management.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).