Merck 2008 Annual Report Download - page 147

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Investment ratio
Investments as a proportion of total revenues.
Irinotecan
An antineoplastic (chemotherapy) drug used to treat cancer.
ISO 14001
This international environmental management standard specifies globally recognized
requirements for an environmental management system.
KRAS
A recently identified biomarker that can show whether a patient with metastatic
colorectal carcinoma is likely to respond to EGFR antibody therapy. This is done by
testing the status of the KRAS gene in the tumor to see if it is normal (wild type) or
abnormal (mutant). The KRAS acronym stands for Kirsten Rat Sarcoma.
Liquid Crystals (LC)
These specialty chemicals are used in LC displays (LCD), for example, in flat-panel
televisions, notebooks, mobile telephones and cameras. This is also the name of the
Merck division that researches and markets liquid crystals.
Lupus erythematosus (LE)
An autoimmune disease linked to inflammatory rheumatic disease and classified as
a collagen disease. There are two main types: lupus of the skin, and systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE). It may affect other organ systems apart from the skin and joints.
Marketing and selling ratio
Marketing and selling expenses as a percentage of total revenues.
Metafolin®
Biologically active form of folate occurs naturally in the human body and is utilized
better by the body than folic acid. Folic acid and Metafolin® are important for cell
division and blood formation and therefore the development and growth of new life.
Monoclonal antibodies
Highly specialized targeted antibodies synthesized using biotechnological methods.
What makes them special is their ability to activate the body’s natural mechanisms to
fight disease. Monoclonal antibodies have mainly been used for cancer treatment and
to suppress adverse immune responses.
MUC1
Also known as PEM (polymorphic epithelial mucin), MUC1 is a glycoprotein group
mucin embedded in cell membranes and occurring in all human organs. The MUC1
mucin is an established tumor marker.
OECD
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, with headquarters
in Paris, is a forum of 30 countries, almost all of them industrialized.
142 | Merck Annual Report 2008