Singapore: The plant represents an investment of €80 million, and will be Merck's largest manufacturing facility outside of Europe.

The new facility will cover an area of 40,000 square meters, with a possible 20,000 square meters extension.

The construction of the site is scheduled to be completed in 2016, with commercial production starting in 2017.

The new facility, which will be the group's second-largest pharmaceutical manufacturing facility worldwide, and will focus on the bulk production and packaging of Glucophage, Concor and Euthyrox, which are Merck Serono's leading brands for the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and thyroid disorders, respectively.

"We have steadfastly aligned our focus and strategy with the Chinese government's efforts to increase patient access to quality care throughout the country," said Mr Belén Garijo, president and CEO, Merck Serono. "Today, we are focused on localizing production to better cater to the demands of Chinese doctors and patients. At the same time, we are localizing R&D to further build a differentiated portfolio of medicines in China, aimed at serving patient needs for general as well as specialized care. We are also creating alliances and partnerships with local partners in in every part of our operations."