Merck Animal Health and State of Kansas Announce $895 Million Investment in De Soto Manufacturing and R&D Facilities
Merck Animal Health launches its largest economic development project to date
Rahway, NJ, May 8, 2025 — Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada and a division of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), together with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, announced today an $895 million expansion of Merck Animal Health’s manufacturing and research operations in De Soto, Kansas.
The investment, one of the largest in Kansas’ recent history and the biggest ever for Merck Animal Health, includes $860 million to expand the existing manufacturing facility and an additional $35 million to enhance the company’s research and development laboratories.
The 200,000-square-foot manufacturing expansion will significantly increase capacity for filling and freeze-drying large molecule vaccines and biologic products. This Center of Excellence will play a key role in Merck Animal Health’s production network, both domestically and internationally.
Site preparation and design work will begin immediately, generating 2,500 construction jobs. Commercial manufacturing at the expanded facility is expected to begin in 2030, creating more than 200 new full-time positions.
In addition to manufacturing growth, the $35 million investment in research and development will strengthen Merck Animal Health’s global drug discovery and development efforts. This expansion will help accelerate innovation in parasiticides and therapeutics, further advancing the company’s mission to improve animal health and welfare worldwide.
“Our De Soto facility is strategically located in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor — a region celebrated for its concentration of animal health companies and a dynamic environment for innovation and collaboration,” said Richard DeLuca, president of Merck Animal Health. “This investment boosts our ability to meet rising global demand for our biologic products and ensures we remain at the forefront of the animal health industry. It also reaffirms our commitment to the communities where we operate.”
Merck Animal Health’s collaboration with the state of Kansas underscores the company’s dedication to the U.S. market, where it has made significant investments to deliver cutting-edge solutions for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases.
Since the implementation of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Merck has invested over $12 billion to strengthen its domestic manufacturing and research capabilities, with plans to invest an additional $9 billion by the end of 2028.
“This extraordinary investment by Merck Animal Health highlights my administration’s efforts to secure Kansas’ economic future and ensure lasting prosperity,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “Major global projects like this, alongside successes with companies like Fiserv and Panasonic, are possible because people believe in Kansas — in our people, our direction, and what we’re building together.”
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland added, “Merck’s major expansion in De Soto further cements Kansas’ reputation as a global leader in animal health. Nearly $1 billion flowing into the local economy will have wide-reaching impacts, benefiting communities across the entire state for years to come. Historic investments like these bring opportunities that ripple far beyond any single project, enriching the lives of Kansans now and for generations to come.”
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives aorund the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bring forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc. Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets.
