Diversification Fails To Protect Merck KGaA From Industry Pressures

Merck KGaA plans to cut headcount and reduce costs, although employees are to be asked first to identify pragmatic cost-saving strategies.

Merck KGAA announced Feb. 24 the start of its heavily flagged cost-reduction program, saying reductions in headcounts were possible across all businesses and regions, although it declined to go into detail about the precise locations and the number of employees affected.

The move follows similar cost-cutting by other pharma firms, and shows that Merck’s diversified structure – it has four divisions: pharmaceuticals, consumer health, Merck Millipore and performance materials (including liquid crystals) – hasn’t protected the

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