Merck Publishes 2015/2016 Global Corporate Responsibility Report
September 13, 2016 8:00 am ET
Report Highlights Company’s Long-Standing Commitment to Discovering Innovative and Sustainable Solutions to the World’s Greatest Health and Development Challenges
Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada,
today issued its 2015/2016
global corporate responsibility report. The report reflects the
company’s performance in the areas of Access to Health, Environmental
Sustainability, Employees and Ethics & Transparency.
“As we celebrate our company’s 125th anniversary as a global health care
leader, we look forward to building on our history of innovation and its
lasting impact on people and societies around the world,” said Kenneth
C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “Our legacy is
a powerful reminder of the difference great medicines can make in the
lives of generations, and of our responsibility to invest in new
solutions to address tomorrow’s pressing health care needs.”
Making a Difference
Corporate responsibility is at the core of Merck’s mission and drives us
to find solutions to the world’s greatest health challenges while
growing our business in a sustainable way. Our approach is aligned with
our mission and values and focuses on four key priorities of access to
health, environmental sustainability, employee health and well-being,
and ethics and transparency. Highlights from this year’s report include:
-
Advancing our pipeline in areas of significant unmet medical need,
including cancer, the hepatitis C virus and life-threatening
infections; -
Recognizing retired Merck scientist William C. Campbell, Ph.D., for
receiving the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for his
discovery leading to a treatment for river blindness; -
Protecting the lives of mothers and children through Merck
for Mothers, including work with partners to reduce maternal
mortality rates by nearly half in target districts of Uganda and
Zambia, and decreasing stock-outs of contraceptives in Senegal from
more than 80 percent to less than 2 percent nationwide; -
Launching products and initiatives to protect the health and
well-being of companion animals, food production animals and equine
through our Animal Health business while supporting the education of
the next generation of veterinarians who will lead the animal health
industry in the future; -
Attaining all three of our environmental goals ahead of schedule,
including a 29 percent reduction in water use since 2009, and a 22
percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2012; -
Significantly increasing business with diverse suppliers and small
enterprises, and instituting a more formal program to evaluate the
risks for labor and human rights impacts in the supply chain; -
Initiating a volunteerism campaign in recognition of the company’s 125th
anniversary, challenging employees to report 125,000 volunteer hours
to support their local communities; and -
Launching a comprehensive strategic plan to attract and retain talent
while building an inclusive workplace where every employee can thrive
and where we leverage our diversity for greater innovations in cutting
edge science.
Merck continues to use several external guidelines and measurement
frameworks to inform the scope of its reporting, including the Global
Reporting Initiative, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Access to
Medicine Index and the 10 principles of the United Nations Global
Compact.
To find out more, read the 2015/2016
Merck Corporate Responsibility Report.
About Merck
For 125 years, Merck has been a global health care 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 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 health care
through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more
information, visit www.merck.com
and connect with us on Twitter,
Facebook,
YouTube
and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the
“company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of
the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs
and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to
significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with
respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the
necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be
commercially successful. 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; the company’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 the company’s patents
and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company 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 the company’s 2015 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
Media:
Lainie Keller, 908-236-5036
or
Investors:
Teri Loxam, 908-740-1986
Amy Klug, 908-740-1898
