MSD-Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories

MSD-Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories is a unique joint venture between the Wellcome Trust and Merck & Co. Inc., with a not-for-profit mission to focus on developing affordable vaccines for diseases that commonly affect low-income countries.

Based in India, the MSD-Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories will create a sustainable R&D business, operating with a not-for-profit model.

Pairing two of the world's pre-eminent healthcare institutions provides an opportunity to integrate the best of both, to drive the investment and expertise needed to develop and deliver affordable vaccines.

The new venture is named in honour of the pioneering vaccine scientist Maurice Hilleman PhD. Dr Hilleman is credited with the development of more than 30 vaccines, including measles, mumps and hepatitis B, during a career that included nearly 30 years at Merck.