Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, announced today that it has received a 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its continued efforts to protect the environment through energy efficiency.

Merck has been an ENERGY STAR partner since 2004 and recognized by the EPA for six consecutive years - twice as Partner of the Year and now a fourth time for Sustained Excellence. The 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award recognizes the accomplishments of Merck's energy management program, including ENERGY STAR designations for six manufacturing sites and the two corporate office buildings at the company's headquarters campus. The company has established an aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goal of 10 percent by 2015 from a 2009 baseline.

"Managing energy well is consistent with Merck's philosophy of being a responsible company," said Rodney Freeman, Merck's vice president, Global Facilities Management. "We are using 'greener' sources of energy and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. Our partnership with ENERGY STAR helps us focus on our main goal of reducing energy consumption. We believe the greenest Kilowatt is the one not used."

"Merck has earned EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award - the 2011 Sustained Excellence Award," said Elizabeth Craig, acting director, EPA Office of Atmospheric Programs. "Merck's long-term leadership and commitment to energy efficiency demonstrates the types of accomplishments that we can all achieve in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our global environment. We look forward to their continued partnership and leadership."

Three Merck manufacturing sites - Stonewall, Va., Wilson, N.C., and Barceloneta, Puerto Rico - received the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry for reducing energy use by more than 10 percent in the previous three years. Three additional manufacturing sites - Cleveland, Tenn., Elkhorn, Neb., and Las Piedras, Puerto Rico - earned an ENERGY STAR award for ranking in the top 25 percent of pharmaceutical plant energy performance nationwide. Merck's headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J., qualified for the ENERGY STAR label for the third time.

Merck will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 12, 2011. Corporate responsibility is embedded within Merck's global business strategy to ensure improvement in the health and well-being of society while also delivering value to the company's shareholders. Operating in an environmentally sustainable fashion is one of four priority areas of corporate responsibility at Merck. For more information about Merck's ongoing environmental and energy conservation efforts, please visit www.merck.com/cr.

About the Sustained Excellence Awards
The 2011 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. The winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative approaches and showing others what can be achieved through energy efficiency. The awards recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program including energy-efficient products, services, new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Award winners are selected from organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. For more information, go to energystar.gov.

About Merck
Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the merger between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the possibility that the expected synergies from the merger of Merck and Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; Merck's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the U.S. and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions.

Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck’s 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc.

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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