As more and more Americans come to rely on prescription drugs to meet their health care needs, the pharmaceutical industry is receiving increasing attention from policy makers at every level. Gilmartin will discuss the ongoing challenges facing the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, with particular focus on the areas of access, affordability, innovation and quality of care.

Merck and Co., Inc. is one of the most respected and successful drug makers in the world. Headquartered in Whitehouse Station, Merck employs nearly 64,000 people worldwide. Merck's global sales were $22.9 billion in 2004.

Since the company was founded in 1891, Merck researchers have pioneered innovations for treating serious diseases a tradition that produced such major medical advances as penicillin, streptomycin and cortisone, among others.

Merck is also well known for its philanthropy. For nearly 20 years, Merck has donated a drug to treat river blindness in Africa and Latin America. The company responded to the recent tsunami disaster by pledging more than $10 million in aid and supplies. Nearer to home, Merck has contributed more than $20 million to the Merck Institute for Science Education, which partners with New Jersey and Pennsylvania school districts to improve science and math education.

Prior to joining Merck in 1994, Gilmartin was chairman, president and chief executive officer of Becton Dickinson. He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Union College in 1963 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1968. He serves on the boards of General Mills, Inc. and the Microsoft Corporation. He is chairman of the Board of Directors of The United Negro College Fund and is a trustee of the Healthcare Le
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Contact: Robert Florida
florida@njit.edu
973-596-5203
New Jersey Institute of Technology
16-Feb-2005