Is Emend a product of Merck & Co.?

Yes, Emend is wholly owned by Merck & Co. Merck researchers discovered aprepitant, the active compound in Emend, and the FDA approved it in 2003 for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Is Emend publicly traded?

Emend itself is not publicly traded. Parent company Merck & Co. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker MRK. Investors can own shares in Merck, which includes Emend among its many pharmaceutical products.

Is generic Emend available?

Yes. The U.S. patent for Emend expired in 2019. Generic aprepitant is available from multiple manufacturers including Sandoz and Teva. The IV formulation, fosaprepitant, also faces generic competition.

Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

Who Owns Emend?

Q: When was Emend approved?

The FDA approved Emend on March 26, 2003, for prevention of acute and delayed CINV associated with highly emetogenic chemotherapy. In 2005, the FDA expanded approval to include moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.

Q: What is Emend used for?

Emend is used to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It works by blocking the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor, preventing substance P from triggering nausea and vomiting signals. Emend is typically used in combination with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone as part of a multi-drug antiemetic regimen.

Emend (aprepitant) is owned by Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK), a publicly traded American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. The FDA approved Emend in 2003 for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. U.S. generic entry began in 2019 following patent expiration. Merck generated $16.2 billion in revenue in 2025, driven primarily by Keytruda. Emend remains available as a branded product alongside generic aprepitant.

Parent Company

Merck & Co.

Founded

2003

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Rahway, New Jersey, USA

Emend Timeline

1668

Merck & Co.

Parent company established in Rahway, New Jersey, USA

Company Founded

2003

Emend

Founded by Merck & Co. (in-licensed from Takeda)

Founded

mid rangegeneric availableGlobalall-agesOfficial Website

Who Owns Emend?

Parent Company: Merck & Co.
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: MRK

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Emend	Merck & Co.	Wholly owned

History of Emend

Founded: 2003
Founders: Merck & Co. (in-licensed from Takeda)

Aprepitant was developed by Merck & Co. through research into substance P and its receptor, the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor. Substance P is a neuropeptide that plays a key role in the vomiting reflex. By blocking the NK-1 receptor, aprepitant prevents substance P from triggering nausea and vomiting signals in the brain.

The FDA approved Emend on March 26, 2003, for use in combination with other antiemetic agents for the prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic chemotherapy, including high-dose cisplatin. The approval was based on clinical trials demonstrating that adding Emend to a standard regimen of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (like ondansetron) and a corticosteroid (like dexamethasone) significantly improved CINV control.

In 2005, the FDA approved Emend for use with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy as well. The IV formulation, fosaprepitant (Emend for Injection), was approved by the FDA in 2008, providing an alternative for patients who cannot take oral medications.

Emend became an important supportive care product in oncology. The drug addressed a significant unmet need, as delayed CINV (occurring 24 to 120 hours after chemotherapy) was poorly controlled by existing antiemetics. Emend's ability to control both acute and delayed CINV made it a valuable addition to chemotherapy supportive care regimens.

Peak Emend sales reached approximately $550 million annually in the early 2010s. Sales declined after the U.S. patent expired in 2019 and generic aprepitant became available. Generic manufacturers including Sandoz (Novartis), Teva, and others now market aprepitant at significantly lower prices. Merck continues to sell branded Emend, but the product represents a small fraction of the company's overall revenue.

Merck does not separately report Emend revenue in its financial disclosures. The company's revenue is dominated by Keytruda (pembrolizumab), which generated approximately $14.5 billion in 2025 and accounts for the majority of Merck's pharmaceutical sales. Other major Merck products include Gardasil (HPV vaccine), Januvia (diabetes), and Bridion (anesthesia reversal).

About Merck & Co.

What does Merck & Co. own?
Merck & Co. owns a portfolio of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, and animal health products. The company's major brands include Keytruda (oncology immunotherapy), Gardasil (HPV vaccine), Winrevair (pulmonary arterial hypertension), Januvia/Janumet (diabetes), Bridion (anesthesia reversal), Ohtuvayre (COPD), and various other prescription medicines. Merck also operates an animal health division under the Merck Animal Health brand, providing veterinary medicines and vaccines.

Is Merck & Co. publicly traded?
Yes. Merck & Co., Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol MRK. The company has no controlling shareholder, with ownership distributed among institutional investors including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street.

What is Merck's annual revenue?
In FY2024, Merck reported worldwide sales of $64.2 billion, a 7% increase from FY2023. The Pharmaceutical segment generated approximately $57.4 billion and the Animal Health segment approximately $5.8 billion. Keytruda alone accounted for approximately $29.5 billion in FY2024 sales.

Who is Merck's CEO?
Robert M. Davis has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co. since 2021, succeeding Kenneth Frazier. Davis has led the company's strategy of building a post-Keytruda pipeline through acquisitions and internal research investment.

What is Keytruda and why is it important to Merck?
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for more than 40 cancer indications. It is the world's best-selling prescription medicine, generating approximately $29.5 billion in FY2024 sales, representing roughly 46% of Merck's total revenue. Keytruda's primary U.S. patent expires in 2028, which will allow biosimilar competition and represents the company's most significant strategic challenge.

What is the difference between Merck & Co. and Merck KGaA?
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Merck KGaA is a separate German pharmaceutical and chemical company headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. The two companies have had no ownership relationship since 1917, when the U.S. government seized German-owned assets and the American entity was incorporated as an independent company.

What is Winrevair?
Winrevair (sotatercept) is a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension approved by the FDA in March 2024. It was acquired through Merck's $11.5 billion acquisition of Acceleron Pharma in 2021. Winrevair generated $419 million in FY2024 sales and is expected to become a significant revenue contributor as it addresses a rare disease with limited treatment options.

Founded: 1668
Headquarters: Rahway, New Jersey, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NYSE: MRK
Revenue: $64.2B (FY2024)
Employees: ~72,000

Visit Merck & Co. website

View full company profile for Merck & Co.

Where Is Emend Made / Based?

Headquarters: Rahway, New Jersey, USA
Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Ireland

Emend Categories & Tags

Antiemetic Nausea Vomiting Chemotherapy Aprepitant Supportive Care

Emend Recalls & Controversies

Emend has maintained a relatively clean safety record since its FDA approval in 2003, with no major recalls or safety controversies.

Drug Interactions: Emend is a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A4, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of many drugs. This can lead to interactions with other medications, including some chemotherapy agents, blood thinners, and certain antidepressants. These interactions are well-characterized and reflected in the prescribing information. Physicians are advised to review patients' medication lists before prescribing Emend.

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Rare cases of hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported with Emend. The prescribing information includes a warning for hypersensitivity reactions, particularly with the IV formulation.

Generic Competition: The primary challenge facing Emend is not a safety controversy but commercial. Since the 2019 patent expiration, generic aprepitant has eroded branded Emend's market share significantly. This is a standard pharmaceutical industry pattern rather than a controversy.

Emend Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+First NK-1 receptor antagonist approved for CINV, establishing a new standard of care
+Effective in controlling both acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
+Available in both oral capsule and IV formulations
+Included in NCCN and ASCO clinical guidelines for antiemetic prophylaxis
+Generic aprepitant provides cost-effective access to the same active ingredient
+Backed by Merck's manufacturing quality standards

Considerations

-U.S. patent expired in 2019; generic versions have largely replaced branded Emend
-No longer a material revenue contributor for Merck
-CYP3A4 drug interactions require careful medication review
-Rare hypersensitivity reactions, particularly with IV formulation
-Competition from newer NK-1 antagonists (Akynzeo, Varubi)
-Merck's focus is on Keytruda and oncology pipeline, not supportive care

Frequently Asked Questions About Emend

Sources & Further Reading

Where to Buy

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Emend on Amazon

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No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Emendoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.

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Who Owns Emend?

Parent Company

Merck & Co.

Founded

2003

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Rahway, New Jersey, USA