CSR Press Release

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Sep. 13 /CSRwire/ - Today Merck (NYSE: MRK) -- known as MSD outside the United States and Canada – issued its 2011 global corporate responsibility report. The report reviews performance and activities within the four key corporate responsibility areas that the company has identified as mission critical: Access to Health, Environmental Sustainability, Employees and Ethics and Transparency. Some notable highlights from 2011, by the numbers:

• People reached through our major responsibility programs and partnerships: 273 million
• Healthcare workers trained: 51,600
• Investment in partnerships to address underlying barriers to health: $34.7 million
• Research & Development expenses: $8.5 billion
• Percent of the top 20 global disease burdens addressed by our products: 53 percent
• Reduction of global water use: 1 billion gallons
• Percentage of women in executive roles: 35 percent
• Estimated employee volunteer hours: 210,500
• Global Corporate Giving: $1.3 billion

Please join in our Twitter conversation at #BeWell to learn more.

Merck continues to use several external reporting guidelines including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI 3.1) Guidelines, the Millennium Development Goals, the Access to Medicine Index and the United Nations Global Compact Communication on Progress.

Merck for Mothers

Many new programs and initiatives were launched in 2011, including Merck for Mothers, a 10-year, half-billion-dollar initiative to create a world where no woman has to die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. This initiative aims to bring this issue to the forefront of global consciousness, develop new technologies and speed life-saving solutions to women across the globe. Go to: MerckforMothers.com to learn more.

To learn more about why innovation and corporate responsibility are at the core of our business strategy and activities, and to also learn about the new partnerships and programs launched in 2011, go to: merckresponsibility.com.

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 connect with 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 all of 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 in the United States and internationally; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for innovative products; 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 2011 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).

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