The history of Merck & Co., Inc. can be traced back to Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668 when an apothecarty named Frederic Jacob Merck opened a chemical firm. In 1891, George Merck began to establish his roots in the United States and set up Merck & Co., Inc. in New York, U.S.A. Originally started off as a fine chemicals suppliers, Merck & Co., Inc began its pharmaceutical research in the early 1930's. The merger with Sharp & Dohme to create Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) in 1953 established a solid foundation for a fully integrated, multi-national producer and distributor of pharmaceutical products. Merck & Co., Inc acquired Medco Containment Services, Inc. in 1993, the leading pharmacy benefits management company in the United States.
