Merial was a multinational animal health company in Lyon, France. It was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between Merck & Co. and Sanofi-Aventis. In January 2017, Merial was acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim and merged with Boehringer Ingelheim's existing animal health assets.[1]
Overview
In August 1997, Merial started as a joint venture between the animal health subsidiaries of Merck & Co. (MSD AgVet) and Sanofi-Aventis (Rhône-Mérieux). Merial became the animal health division of Sanofi, when Sanofi bought out Merck's 50% share of the joint venture. On December 30, 2016 Boehringer Ingelheim completed a swap of their OTC business for Sanofi's animal health business. Merial is now owned by Boehringer Ingelheim and combined with their animal health business, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, to form Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.
Merial produces many products and vaccines for domestic pets, farm animals and wildlife. Merial has about 6,900 employees and is present in more than 150 countries in the world.[2]