Merz North America, a pharmaceutical company specializing in aesthetics, skin care and neurotoxins, continues to grow in North Carolina, three years after relocating its headquarters to Raleigh from Greensboro.

The company, part of the Merz Pharma Group, a privately owned German company, has consistently added to its national sales force in the last two quarters and now employs about 280 people in Raleigh, said Emily Browder, director of corporate communications.

Merz North America has about 45 open positions nationwide. They are a mix of new and existing jobs, Browder said. Many are in sales.

About half of the open positions are based in Raleigh and include jobs in finance, human resources, facilities, sales, marketing and communications, R&D, information technology and medical affairs.

This week Merz announced the appointment of a Raleigh-based vice president and head of global medical affairs. Terri Phillips, M.D., will oversee medical affairs for the company’s two businesses in medical aesthetics and neurosciences.

“We continue to attract top industry talent that serves as positive momentum for the company as a whole,” said Bob Rhatigan, president and CEO of Merz North America.

Prior to joining Merz, Phillips worked for Santen, Scientific Commercialization, NPS Pharmaceuticals and Allergan, where she helped roll out Botox Cosmetic and Juvéderm, two major-selling injectables for erasing wrinkles and plumping cheeks and lips.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY PROMOTING PRODUCTS

Christie Brinkley in a Merz promotion

In October Merz enlisted supermodel, actress and entrepreneur Christie Brinkley in a national marketing campaign to promote two products in its aesthetics portfolio that she has used, Ultherapy and Xeomin. (Watch a video at YouTube.)

Browder said the campaign has boosted sales of Xeomin. The product is a botulinum toxin, similar to Botox, for temporarily smoothing frown lines between the eyebrows by blocking nerve signals and relaxing muscles.

Xeomin is also approved for the treatment of three movement and spasticity disorders: blepharospasm, the abnormal contraction of the eyelid muscles; cervical dystonia, a painful spasm of the neck muscles; and upper limb spasticity. Over 1 million patients worldwide have used Xeomin for these disorders, according to Merz.

Ultherapy is a non-invasive, ultrasound-based treatment for tightening and lifting skin on the eyebrow, neck and chin. The therapy, first marketed in 2008, recorded its millionth treatment worldwide in 2017.

‘ROBUST PORTFOLIO’ OF PRODUCTS

In addition to Ultherapy and Xeomin, other products in Merz’s aesthetics division include:

  • Asclera, an injection for treating spider veins and varicose veins
  • Belotero Balance, an injection for smoothing folds or wrinkles that go from the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth
  • Cellfina, a minimally invasive system for smoothing cellulite dimples in female buttocks and thighs
  • Describe, a skin patch for making laser-based tattoo removal faster, safer and more effective. The patch was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in December for use with all lasers commonly used for tattoo removal.
  • Mederma, a line of skin care products including creams, gels and oils for treating scars and stretch marks
  • Neocutis, a line of anti-aging skin creams
  • Radiesse, an injectable dermal filler for smoothing facial wrinkles.

Products in Merz’s neuroscience division include Cuvposa, a medication for reducing chronic severe drooling caused by neurologic conditions in children aged 3 to 16 years, and Prolaryn, an injectable implant for treating weak or damaged vocal cords.

“We are very optimistic about our future,” Browder said. “We have a well-rounded and robust portfolio of both face and body treatments, and see great opportunity to continue to grow our businesses.”

In the 2016-17 fiscal year, Merz Pharma Group, headquartered in Frankfurt, reported $1.2 billion in global revenues, about a third coming from U.S. sales. It spent about $176 million on research and development.

Founded in 1908, Merz has about 3,000 employees and 34 subsidiaries worldwide.

The company established its U.S. presence in Greensboro in 1995 and kept it there through 2014. The company consolidated operations at a 60,000 square-foot facility on Six Forks Road in North Raleigh in January 2015.