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September 30, 2011 7:00 am ET

Merck’s Commitment to Creating Business and Social Value Is Stronger Than Ever

Today Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and
Canada, launched its 2010 global corporate responsibility report, which
emphasizes the importance of discovering better ways of doing business
to benefit both society and its business. The report is available at www.merckresponsibility.com.

“Our world is changing rapidly. We recognize that expectations for
companies like Merck are now higher than ever before,” said Kenneth C.
Frazier, president and CEO, Merck. “We, of course, need to continue to
be both innovative and profitable, but need to do so in a way that
protects the environment, supports communities, respects employees, and
demonstrates ethical behavior.”

The report covers Merck’s corporate responsibility activities, progress,
goals and performance during 2010 in four focus areas that the company
identified as critical to our business: Access to Health, Environmental
Sustainability, Employees, and Ethics and Transparency. It includes
metrics related to each area of focus and announces a new set of key
performance indicators (KPIs) that will be used in the coming years to
measure progress in each area of focus.

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

Discovering innovative solutions to some of the world’s greatest
health challenges

This year’s report is themed “Discovering,” highlighting Merck’s
commitment to discovering innovative solutions to some of the world’s
greatest health challenges.

• Access to Health: The report highlights Merck’s efforts and
  performance in facilitating greater access to healthcare, particularly
  for underserved populations. In early 2011, Merck introduced a Statement
  of Guiding Principles to guide its worldwide approach to access to
  health; the principles outline specific goals to assure progress
  across Merck’s business, from R&D and the supply chain, to
  commercialization and investment in local infrastructure.
• Environmental Sustainability: The report highlights the
  company’s respect for the earth’s resources with a commitment to
  discover environmentally sustainable ways to meet the world’s health
  needs. It includes Merck’s recently established environmental goals
  and a road map that will guide the company’s progress, from reducing
  its environmental footprint in the short term, to transforming its
  entire value chain over the longer term.
• Employees: The report highlights the company’s efforts to
  create a work environment that allows both its employees and its
  business to thrive. Merck is committed to supporting its employees by
  developing resources and opportunities that help employees grow
  professionally, helping to improve the health of its employees and
  their families, and encouraging them to get involved in their
  communities in ways that are meaningful.
• Ethics and Transparency: The report also reviews Merck’s
  commitment to ethical behavior and transparent communications across
  its global business and how it is working to earn the trust of
  customers, patients and stakeholders critical to its business.

In addition to the comprehensive report at www.merckresponsibility.com,
Merck has published an overview of its corporate responsibility approach
and activities that, through profiles of employees and patients, brings
to life its areas of focus and highlights various programs and
partnerships that exemplify Merck’s corporate responsibility
commitments. The overview is available on Merck’s corporate
responsibility Web site; hard copies can be requested online.

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 press release contains “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 healthcare 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).