organon
A global pharmaceutical company focused on women's health, biosimilars, and established medicines.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Organon & Co. is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. Although the present-day public company was created through a 2021 separation from Merck & Co., the Organon pharmaceutical business traces its origins to 1923 in Oss, in the Netherlands. It was established by Ernst Laqueur, a physiologist and endocrinologist at the University of Amsterdam, together with Saal van Zwanenberg, whose family business operated a slaughterhouse and food-processing enterprise in Oss. The original company combined biological research with industrial manufacturing and initially produced insulin. During the 1930s it expanded into estrogen products, including estrone marketed under the Menformon name, and later developed capabilities in hormone medicines and other pharmaceutical fields. Organon's historical development was shaped by a series of ownership and corporate-structure changes. It opened or acquired research capabilities outside the Netherlands, including the Newhouse research site in Scotland in 1948, and began producing cortisone in 1953. In 1962, it acquired the Nederlandsche Cocaïnefabriek, after which the broader corporate group became Koninklijke Zwanenberg-Organon. A 1969 merger with the fiber producer AKU created AKZO, later known as Akzo Nobel, within which Organon operated as the human-healthcare business. In 2004, the business acquired Diosynth, a producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, strengthening its manufacturing and development infrastructure. A major transition occurred in 2007, when Schering-Plough acquired Organon BioSciences from Akzo Nobel. Organon was moved into Schering-Plough's corporate structure and headquarters in Jersey City. Schering-Plough subsequently merged with Merck & Co. in 2009, bringing Organon's businesses into Merck's global pharmaceutical portfolio. Under Merck, the Organon activities became associated particularly with women's health, established medicines, and biosimilars. Merck announced in 2020 that Organon & Co. would be the name of a planned independent company containing its women's-health products, established or legacy brands, and biosimilars. The separation was completed on June 3, 2021, when Organon became a separately traded public company. The independent company inherited a portfolio spanning contraception, fertility, hormone replacement therapy, psychiatry, anesthesia, cardiovascular medicine, immunology, oncology, and other established therapeutic areas. Organon's present business is generally organized around three broad areas: women's health, biosimilars, and established brands. Women's health includes contraceptive products such as Nexplanon and fertility medicines such as Puregon. Biosimilars include Hadlima, a product developed as a biosimilar to Humira for selected inflammatory conditions. Established brands include medicines with long commercial histories, including products in cardiovascular and other therapeutic categories. The company operates internationally and has historically generated a substantial share of its revenue outside the United States, while manufacturing its products outside the United States. Its strategic identity is built around improving access to medicines, maintaining mature pharmaceutical brands, and expanding healthcare options for women across reproductive, hormonal, and related stages of life.
History
Organon began in 1923 in Oss, the Netherlands, as a partnership between Ernst Laqueur, an academic specialist in physiology and endocrinology, and Saal van Zwanenberg, an industrial entrepreneur connected with the Zwanenberg slaughterhouse and food-processing business. Its first reported product was insulin. The company soon developed a specialization in hormone-related medicines, producing estrogens during the 1930s, including estrone sold under the Menformon trade name. The business expanded its research and manufacturing base after the Second World War. In 1948 it acquired the Newhouse research site in Scotland, and in 1953 it began production of cortisone. In 1962, Organon's corporate group acquired the Nederlandsche Cocaïnefabriek and adopted the name Koninklijke Zwanenberg-Organon. The group merged with AKU, a fiber producer, in 1969. That transaction created AKZO, later associated with the Akzo Nobel name, and Organon became its human-healthcare division. In 2004, Organon acquired Diosynth, an active-pharmaceutical-ingredient manufacturer. The next major change came in 2007, when Schering-Plough acquired Organon BioSciences from Akzo Nobel. The Organon business was transferred to Schering-Plough's headquarters in Jersey City, New Jersey. Schering-Plough merged with Merck & Co. in 2009, after which Organon's activities became part of Merck's international pharmaceutical operations. In 2020, Merck announced that Organon & Co. would be the name of a planned spin-off containing women's health, biosimilars, and established or legacy medicines. The transaction was completed on June 3, 2021, creating an independent publicly traded company. The new Organon inherited products and commercial capabilities covering contraception, fertility, hormone replacement therapy, psychiatry, anesthesia, cardiovascular medicine, oncology, immunology, and other established therapeutic fields. The company has subsequently described its portfolio through three principal categories: women's health, biosimilars, and established brands. Nexplanon is a long-acting reversible contraceptive implant, while Puregon is a fertility medicine based on follicle-stimulating hormone. Hadlima is a biosimilar associated with Humira and is used in areas including inflammatory disease treatment. Established brands include medicines such as Vytorin and other products with long commercial histories and substantial exposure to generic competition. Organon's history also includes regulatory and legal scrutiny. Whistleblower cases filed in 2007 alleged that the company discounted Remeron to nursing-home pharmacies but sought Medicaid reimbursement using higher prices. The matter was settled in 2014 for $31 million. The company has also continued to develop and commercialize pharmaceutical compounds across reproductive medicine, contraception, hormone therapy, anesthesia, psychiatry, immunology, oncology, and other fields. Its contemporary identity combines the historical Organon name with the scale of a global pharmaceutical supplier and a strategic emphasis on women's health and access to medicines.
- 2021
Organon becomes publicly traded
[1]The spin-off is completed on June 3, creating an independent public pharmaceutical company.
- 2020
Merck selects Organon & Co. for the planned spin-off
[1]Merck announces Organon & Co. as the name of the planned company containing its women's-health, biosimilar, and established-brand businesses.
- 2009
Schering-Plough merges with Merck
[1]Organon's businesses enter the Merck & Co. corporate group through the merger of Schering-Plough and Merck.
- 2007
Schering-Plough acquires Organon BioSciences
[1]Schering-Plough acquires Organon BioSciences from Akzo Nobel and transfers Organon to Jersey City.
- 2004
Diosynth acquisition
[1]Organon acquires active-pharmaceutical-ingredient producer Diosynth.
- 1969
Merger with AKU creates AKZO
[1]The group merges with fiber producer AKU, and Organon becomes the human-healthcare business within AKZO.
- 1962
Corporate group adopts the KZO name
[1]Following the acquisition of the Nederlandsche Cocaïnefabriek, the group becomes Koninklijke Zwanenberg-Organon.
- 1953
Cortisone production begins
[1]The company initiates production of cortisone.
- 1948
Newhouse research site acquired
[1]Organon acquires the Newhouse research site in Scotland, expanding its international research footprint.
- 1930
Expansion into estrogen medicines
[1]Organon manufactures estrogen products, including estrone marketed under the Menformon name.
Products and positioning
A global pharmaceutical company centered on women's health, biosimilars, and established medicines, with an emphasis on broadening access to reproductive, hormonal, specialty, and mature branded therapies.
Contraception
Nexplanon
Nexplanon is a long-acting, reversible contraceptive implant placed under the skin. It represents one of Organon's most recognizable women's-health products and is designed to provide multi-year pregnancy prevention without requiring daily user adherence.
Fertility medicine
Puregon
Puregon is a fertility treatment based on follicle-stimulating hormone. It is used in assisted-reproduction and ovulation-induction settings and reflects Organon's long-standing role in reproductive medicine.
Biosimilar
Hadlima
Hadlima is a biosimilar associated with adalimumab, the biologic medicine marketed as Humira. It is intended for use in selected inflammatory and immune-mediated conditions and forms part of Organon's biosimilars portfolio.
Cardiovascular medicine
Vytorin
Vytorin is a cardiovascular medicine combining ezetimibe and simvastatin. It belongs to Organon's established-brands portfolio, which includes mature medicines marketed across multiple international regions.
Estrogen medicine
Menformon
Menformon was the historical trade name for an estrone product manufactured by Organon during the 1930s. It illustrates the company's early specialization in estrogen and hormone-related medicines.
Controversies
2014
Remeron Medicaid pricing settlement
Whistleblower lawsuits filed in 2007 alleged that Organon sold Remeron to nursing-home pharmacies at discounted prices while submitting Medicaid reimbursement claims based on higher, undiscounted prices. Organon agreed to a $31 million settlement in October 2014.
Brand decisions
2021
Acquisition of Forendo PharmaM&ABackground
Organon sought to strengthen its women's-health research pipeline with a development-stage company and a potentially first-in-class oral 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor.
Action taken
Organon announced an agreement to acquire Forendo Pharma and its lead compound.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Organon's development activities in women's health.
2020
Creation of an independent Organon companyStrategyBackground
Merck decided to separate its women's-health, biosimilar, and established-brand businesses into a new publicly traded company.
Action taken
Merck selected Organon & Co. as the name of the planned spin-off and prepared the business for separation.
Aftermath
The separation was completed in June 2021, making Organon an independent listed pharmaceutical company.
Recent events
Organon completes acquisition of Alydia Health[3]
Reported:
Organon completed its acquisition of commercial-stage medical device company Alydia Health.
Sources3 sources
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