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March 16, 2011 8:08 am ET

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.merckresponsibility.com.

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).