Whitehouse Station, N.J., March 17, 2009 - Merck & Co., Inc. today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the Company with its 2009 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award for continued efforts to protect the environment. Merck will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 31, 2009.

Merck, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2004, has been recognized by the EPA for four consecutive years - twice as Partner of the Year and twice for Sustained Excellence. In 2008, Merck exceeded its energy reduction goals - decreasing energy usage per unit of area by 30 percent from a 2004 baseline.

"Reducing our environmental impact and conserving key resources is consistent with Merck's values as a healthcare company and makes business sense," said Joseph T. Morrissey, Vice President, Global Site Services, Merck & Co., Inc. "Our partnership with ENERGY STAR is part of our commitment to reduce the Company's environmental footprint - including energy use improvements, reduced water use and converting to renewable resources such as solar power."

"EPA is delighted to recognize Merck with the 2009 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award," said Kathleen Hogan, Director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the U.S. EPA. "Merck's leadership on energy efficiency has yielded impressive results, showing us all what can be accomplished through sustained commitment and action."

Across the U.S., top companies and organizations are leading the way toward a more energy-efficient future through participation in ENERGY STAR. Last year, with the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved $19 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles.

The 2009 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. These 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. These 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 more than 12,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

The Company's world headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J. qualified for the ENERGY STAR label in 2007 and 2008. Merck is also a member of the EPA's Climate Leaders and Climate RESOLVE programs. For more information about Merck's ongoing environmental and energy conservations efforts, please visit www.merck.com/cr.

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 12,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit ww.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

About Merck
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Merck's business, particularly those mentioned in the risk factors and cautionary statements in Item 1A of Merck's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2008, and in any risk factors or cautionary statements contained in the Company's periodic reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K, which the Company incorporates by reference.

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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