What can we help you find?

July 29, 2013 4:01 pm ET

Historic Milestone Reflects Successful Collaboration Among MECTIZAN^® Donation Program and Partners

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada,
applauds the government of Colombia whose work with the MECTIZAN^®
Donation Program and The Carter Center-sponsored Onchocerciasis
Elimination Program for the Americas led to today’s Pan American Health
Organization, the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the
Americas (PAHO/WHO), verification of Colombia as the first country in
the world to eliminate the transmission of river blindness
(onchocerciasis), using MECTIZAN (ivermectin). Onchocerciasis is one of
the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide.

“We are humbled by the great work of the MECTIZAN Donation Program and
its partners in protecting future generations of Colombians from a
disease that carries devastating implications for people, families,
healthcare systems and local economies,” said Kenneth C. Frazier,
chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “It is tremendously
rewarding to see the alliance of partners achieve the long-held goal of
making river blindness a disease of the past in Colombia.”

For more information, please view the news releases from:

• Colombia
  Ministry of Health and Social Protection (Spanish)
• MECTIZAN
  Donation Program
• Carter
  Center-sponsored Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas
• PAHO/WHO

About the MECTIZAN Donation Program

In October 1987, Merck announced it would donate the medication MECTIZAN
to all who need it for as long as necessary until onchocerciasis is
eliminated as a public health problem. The MECTIZAN Donation Program
reaches more than 100 million people annually. www.mectizan.org.

In Latin America, since 1989, more than 10 million treatments of donated
MECTIZAN have been delivered by community health workers and
non-governmental organizations.

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. These statements are based
upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying
assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize,
actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry
conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest
rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of
pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the
United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost
containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained
by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development,
including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately
predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays;
financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of Merck patents and other protections
for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including
patent 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 2012 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
Lainie Keller, 908-423-4187