Merck believes in the importance of both innovative drug discovery and protecting and preserving the environment in which we operate. For this reason, we constantly strive to minimize the impact of our operations on ecosystems and to protect the habitat around our facilities.

At the same time, Merck believes that ways to treat and prevent disease may be found in naturally occurring compounds. For this reason, Merck has engaged in several initiatives over the years to both preserve the rich biodiversity around us and at the same time put this biological wealth to work for the benefit of society.

For example, Merck signed a research collaboration agreement with the Costa Rican Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio) in September 1991. InBio is a private, non-profit institution established in response to national concern about the accelerating loss of Costa Rica's biological diversity. Merck paid U.S. $1 million in the initial two years of the program for the opportunity to screen soil samples, microorganisms, plants and other species for new molecules: bio-prospecting. A percentage of the money went directly toward the cost of preserving the wild lands. In 2001, Merck provided an additional grant to INBio to raise awareness of bio-prospecting in the newly-opened educational INBio-parque. Today, INBio continues to share the knowledge and experience it has acquired with the public through educational activities.

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