Organon recently acquired the rights to various contraceptive products in China and Macau.
The company announced the acquisition, which gives it full ownership of Marvelon and Mercilon, oral hormonal daily contraceptive pills, from Bayer AG, in China and Macau, according to a Feb. 16 press release. Organon has also entered into an agreement to acquire the rights for the products in Vietnam.
“This is an important opportunity for Organon as we look to grow our contraception portfolio and further bolster our offerings to women in all parts of the world through strategic business development," Organon Chief Commercial Officer, Susanne Fiedler, said in the release. “With Marvelon and Mercilon in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and potentially Vietnam, we will have an opportunity to reach more women who are looking for contraceptive options in these markets and help empower them with choice in an area of health that is important to them.”
Marvelon and Mercilon are currently marketed and manufactured by Organon as prescription oral contraceptives in 20 markets, the release stated.
Marvelon is offered over the counter in China and both Marvelon and Mercilon are available in Vietnam via prescription, according to the release. Both contraceptives were acquired by Bayer AG in 2014. They are not available in the United States.
"Led by the women’s health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women’s health," the release stated. "Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets."
Organon is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, and employs approximately 9,500 people, the release stated.