Merck Millipore Opens its First Lab Water Production Site in China Ming Che™, a China-exclusive brand, is on the way

• Ming Che™ is a tailor-made lab water portfolio for customers in China.
• Ming Che™ marks a new milestone of Merck Millipore’s investment in China, reflecting continued commitment to the Chinese market.

February 27, 2012, Darmstadt, Germany — Merck Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA* of Germany, today inaugurated its lab water production site in Shanghai, China. Located in Shanghai’s Song-Jiang district, the facility will manufacture tailor-made lab water purification systems and consumables. The “Ming Che™” product line will be sold exclusively in China. The opening of this lab water production facility marks another milestone for Merck Millipore in China, reflecting its long term commitment to the market.

The new production site is located in Merck Chemicals China’s Song-Jiang site. The localized product portfolio will be marketed under the new Ming Che™ brand (“clarity and purity” in Chinese), and designed to meet the specific requirements of Chinese customers.

“China is one of our fastest growing regions,” said Robert Yates, President of Merck Millipore. “The rapid growth of the pharmaceutical, health care, and life science industries is driving demand for ultrapure water in Chinese laboratories. Today’s opening of the lab water production site further enables us to meet that growing market demand, and reinforces our commitment to providing innovative products and valuable technology that the Chinese life sciences industry needs.”

“As a global leader in lab water products we see a great opportunity in China,” said Klaus Bischoff, Head of Merck Millipore's Lab Solutions Business. “We continually strive to bring the best technology and products where they are needed and today I am pleased that we are starting to offer our state of the art, made in China products to our Chinese customers.”

The Ming Che™ products will cater to laboratories at private research facilities, contract research organizations, universities, government and academic institutes, as well as clinical centers, with applications ranging from in-vitro diagnostics to pharmaceutical vaccine production and sterile food packaging.

“Scientific research and development on life science is rising rapidly in China. Merck Millipore is always ready to provide the Chinese customers, especially those in remote areas, with tailor-made products, which not only guarantee Merck Millipore’s global unified high quality standard and China’s national standard, but also manage to meet local customers’ special needs ‘with adequate’. Merck Millipore will join hands with our customers to push the new progress of the Chinese life science industry. ” said Victor Chan, head of Merck Millipore China Lab Solutions & Bioscience Business Unit and Divisional Coordinator.

The first batch of Merck Millipore’s China-made lab water products is scheduled to be launched in March 2012.

About Merck Millipore
Merck Millipore is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA (Germany) and offers a broad range of innovative and high-performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration, we receive new scientific and engineering insights. As one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science Tools industry, Merck Millipore serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of the life sciences. Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 68 countries and had 2010 revenues of €1.7 billion. Merck Millipore operates as EMD Millipore in the U.S. and Canada.

Note: Merck KGaA or Merck shall mean Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

About Merck
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of €9.3 billion in 2010, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by more than 40,000 employees in 68 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.