Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, announced today that it has received a 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its continued improvement of energy performance and leadership in energy management in both the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors.

Merck has been an ENERGY STAR partner since 1995 and recognized by the EPA for seven consecutive years – twice as Partner of the Year and now a fifth time for Sustained Excellence. 

The 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award recognizes the accomplishments of Merck's energy management program, including Energy Star designations earned for six manufacturing sites and three large corporate office buildings including two at the Company's headquarters campus and one building with a major data center. 

The ENERGY STAR efforts at the company's sites are part of a broader effort to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Merck established an aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goal of 10 percent by 2015 from a 2009 baseline, reflecting the integration of the merger of Schering-Plough and Merck in November 2009 into one business entity.  

“Merck is proud to be the only pharmaceuticals company to be recognized for the seventh time for these prestigious EPA awards," said Rodney Freeman, Merck's vice president, Global Facilities Management. "We are fully committed to use renewable energy resources, implement energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, materials and products and report on our progress toward achieving our goals."

"As we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is proud to recognize Merck with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Merck and all our ENERGY STAR award winners are helping Americans find cost-effective ways to save energy in everything we do, which is good for our climate, our health, and our future."

Three Merck manufacturing sites – Stonewall, Va., Wilson, N.C., and Barceloneta, Puerto Rico – achieved 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 - achieved an ENERGY STAR award for ranking in the top 25 percent of pharmaceutical plant energy performance nationwide.  Merck's corporate headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J., also qualified for the ENERGY STAR label for the third time and Merck's research headquarters in Upper Gwynedd, Pa., for the first time.

Merck will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2012. 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.merckresponsibility.com.

About the Sustained Excellence

The 2012 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 building in the commercial, industrial and public sectors.  Award winners are selected from organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

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 and connectwith us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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 th 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 United States 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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