Michael Thien

Biography

In January 1994, with much of the East Coast buried in snow, Merck scientists in Pennsylvania confronted the elements to continue their work in the lab. The Washington Post later described them as “brave or stupid,” but the researchers were motivated by something big: the potential for a breakthrough discovery in the fight against HIV. Six years earlier, Merck had been the first to prove that inhibiting the HIV protease enzyme could prevent the virus from replicating. That discovery, however, was only the beginning. Shortly thereafter, the researchers and scientists endured a number of discouraging setbacks, including the failure of a promising compound and the death of one of our lead researchers in the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am flight 103. But our colleagues would not be deterred in their search. Michael (Mike) Thien, Ph.D., who currently heads up Global Science, Technology and Commercialization for Merck Manufacturing Division, was one of those scientists.

Research Interest

Sc ience and Technology