It costs about £550 million and around 10-12 years, to bring one medicine from discovery in a laboratory to the patient. The pharmaceutical industry invests around £10 million a day in research and development, and carries out nearly a quarter of all industrial research and development in the UK.

MSD's research and development operations have been fundamental in the development of many of Merck & Co., Inc.'s medicines.

MSD's pre-clinical research in the UK is conducted at the pharmaceutical research and development unit at its headquarters in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.