EMD Chemicals Inc. Announces New President and CEO

GIBBSTOWN, N.J.--EMD Chemicals Inc. (EMD) announced today the appointment of Meiken Krebs as President and CEO. Ms. Krebs will be responsible for EMD Chemicals, along with EMD Biosciences, Inc, and EMD Crop BioScience Inc, all North American affiliates of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, a leading global pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals company.

Ms. Krebs is succeeding Douglas S. Brown who has left the company.

Walter W. Zywottek, Merck KGaA Executive Board Member comments on the appointment of Ms. Krebs, “North America and in particular the US, represents one of the strongest economies in the world, and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt views this as a crucial market for our performance materials and life science products. I would like to thank Douglas Brown for his contributions to the success of EMD and am confident that under Meiken’s leadership, we will continue to bring value and innovation to our customers in North America.”

Ms. Krebs has been with Merck KGaA since 2003 as Vice-President of Corporate Auditing and Risk Management. Prior to joining Merck, she held various CFO positions with German and Italian companies.

About EMD

EMD Chemicals Inc. together with EMD Biosciences and EMD Crop BioScience represents the North American specialty chemical extension of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The companies account for 1,100 employees and international revenues of approximately $400 million. EMD Chemicals provides specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical, biotech, cosmetic, automotive, plastics, electronics and other industrial applications. EMD Biosciences is engaged in the development, manufacture and distribution of a broad array of reagents used for life science research. EMD Crop BioScience, with more than 100 years in the business is the world's leading developer of legume inoculants and seed treatments products and is committed to advancing crop-enhancing technologies and making these products available to growers worldwide.

About Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with sales of EUR 5.9 billion in 2005, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by 30,158 employees in 56 countries. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.