Merck, known as MSD, outside of the US and Canada, is a prominent biopharmaceutical company based out of Rahway, New Jersey. For over 130 years, Merck has been at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals.
Client Need
In 2023, Merck needed to develop an innovative drug development technology initiative powered by proprietary machine learning, giving scientists the tools to create and collaborate in an entrepreneurial environment.
Solution
The collaboration between Merck and NJII resulted in the launch of the Merck Digital Science Studio (MDSS), a new venture accelerator. This initiative supports early-stage biomedical startups with direct investment, access to powerful technology, and entrepreneurial space.
Business Value
This state-of-the-art approach to drug development fosters the opportunity to bring together new scientists with experienced industry professionals in an accessible, high-tech, and entrepreneurial environment that promotes the creation of new treatments.
“The biopharmaceutical industry has only just started to harness the tremendous opportunity presented by emerging technological developments in AI, and ML. The MDSS will provide a collaborative and entrepreneurial setting where scientists have access to the tools and expertise to fuel important innovations that advance drug discovery and development. “
Fiona Marshall
(Senior vp – discovery, preclinical and transitional medicine at merck research labs)
The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersy Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation in order to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its four divisions (Healthcare, Defense, Continued Learning, Entrepreneurship) and today has a team of 120 staff. Learn more: https://www.njii.com