In France, 4 million people suffer from diabetes, and the number is growing, as it is everywhere else in the world. There are currently 537 million people on the planet living with type 2 diabetes, or almost one in ten adults. This figure is expected to increase by another 46% by 2045, mainly in Asia and Africa.
These very pessimistic forecasts reflect the success of pharmaceutical laboratories producing drugs for this chronic disease, such as Merck in Semoy (Loire), in the metropolitan area of Orleans, which employs 400 employees.
This plant, established in 1974, was purchased by this German group in 1991. On an area of 20,000 m2, this plant produces and packages tablets based on metformin, the main molecule used to treat these patients. On the eve of National Diabetes Week, which ran from June 3 to 8, 2024, Merck opened its doors to a number of individuals and unveiled its capabilities that make it a major player in the production of these antidiabetic drugs.
Carbon neutrality in 2040!
The numbers are impressive. The group, which obtains the active ingredient at its factories in Méziers (Rhône) and Calais (Pas-de-Calais), produces 50 million boxes a year and 4 billion tablets – enough to go around the entire Earth if connected end to end. …
The drugs are then shipped halfway around the world to the Middle East and Asia. Over the years, the group has continued to modernize its facilities. In 2018, the company invested 11 million euros in increasing production capacity, and in 2021, a further 19 million euros in improving packaging. The next targets will focus on decarbonization and the energy transition, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in 2040.
Source: Le Parisien
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