At Merial, the health and well-being of animals is at the heart of what we do. Merial R&D’s mission is to deliver and support effective, innovative, safe and cost effective products that are designed to improve the health, welfare, and/or performance of animals.
Merial R&D has more than 700 dedicated scientists and technical support staff located in all major global geographies; our research is carried out in broad centers of excellence as well as in smaller sites that focus on specific regions or activities. We play a vital role in shaping the future success of Merial, and our entire organization is structured to cover the development of products from discovery to launch and beyond. In addition, we intensively collaborate with our Sanofi R&D colleagues in human health to better identify innovative solutions for animal health.
Discovering, Developing and Supporting Outstanding Products
Discovery fuels the pipeline of new products that are the lifeblood of the organization. Dedicated research teams seek to identify new compounds, vaccines, technologies, disease processes and infectious agents in order to create unique pharmaceutical and biological products. In addition, Merial has a strong tradition of collaboration with outside research partners to discover new opportunities and solutions to improve animal health. Merial’s Intellectual Property group rigorously protects new inventions via patent filings, and constantly monitors the IP landscape to ensure development projects move forward without infringing valid competitor patents.
Development is a complex process that takes a new compound from an idea through rigorous laboratory testing and clinical evaluation to 
establish its safety and efficacy. Data are carefully evaluated to ensure the product will satisfy Merial’s internal quality requirements as well as meeting or exceeding external regulatory requirements in our markets around the world. Merial’s R&D organization has the resources and experience to bring innovative products to market in the shortest time possible.
Merial’s responsibility for the performance of its products does not end when a marketing authorization has been granted by a regulatory authority. We provide support for launch and post-launch activities and investigate potential new claims for existing products. We also keep our customers well-informed by monitoring the safety of our products and their performance in the marketplace.
Our Successes
The groundbreaking work conducted by R&D has enabled Merial to launch multiple new products globally every year since the company’s inception. Many of our products are considered by veterinarians to be the “gold standard” in their class. Some have gone on to become veterinary blockbusters and ousehold names – such as FRONTLINE® flea and tick preventive, and HEARTGARD® heartworm preventive.
Merial vaccines are at the forefront in combating diseases that represent serious threats to swine
(for example, CIRCOVAC® for porcine circovirus),
poultry (VAXXITEK® for Marek’s disease and infectious bursal disease) and livestock (rapid development of vaccines against Bluetongue virus and Foot and Mouth Disease).
Merial has also developed innovative products using advanced enabling technologies, such as long-acting products for cattle; and by creating vaccines that accurately target only the critical antigens involved in protection, we have produced adjuvant-free feline vaccines (PUREVAX® range) and the first-ever therapeutic cancer vaccine in any species (ONCEPT® for canine melanoma).
Building Merial’s Future Now
R&D is the driver and catalyst for defining, realizing and safeguarding Merial’s product portfolio, and it is the major source of innovation for the 
company. In animal health, a robust research pipeline is a prerequisite for a successful future. Our promising R&D portfolio and strong project management discipline allow Merial to continue to achieve market success and meet our customers’ needs, both locally and globally.
We are committed to developing pharmaceuticals and vaccines with the highest levels of quality, safety and efficacy in order to meet the animal health needs of tomorrow.