Merck Awards Contract For Bulk Manufacturing Facility In Singapore

Merck & Co. has awarded a contract in excess of $100 million to Foster Wheeler Eastern Private Ltd. for the design and construction of a grassroots bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Singapore.

According to Foster Wheeler, scope of the project includes engineering design, procurement, construction and validation services for the manufacturing process unit to be built at Merck's new site in Singapore. The plant is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2000. Design for the process unit is reportedly flexible enough to accommodate expansion capacity for existing products as well as potential future products.

Andrew Skibo, vice president, Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals, Foster Wheeler International Corp., said Foster Wheeler won the contract in competitive bidding against other major engineering and construction firms. He cited the Company's successful experience on a number of bulk pharmaceutical production facilities of similar scope and size for Glaxo as an important factor in Foster Wheeler securing the contract.

For more information: Alastair B. Davie, Foster Wheeler Corporation, tel: 908-730-4444.