To the Stockholders:

The stockholders of Merck & Co., Inc. will hold their Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at 2:00 p.m., in the Edward Nash Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College, Route 28 and Lamington Road, North Branch, New Jersey. The purposes of the meeting are to:

• elect five directors for terms ending in 2006;
• consider and act upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent public accountants for 2003;
• consider and act upon a proposal to adopt the 2003 Incentive Stock Plan;
• consider and act upon a stockholder proposal concerning annual election of directors;
• consider and act upon a stockholder proposal concerning director nominees;
• consider and act upon a stockholder proposal concerning extension of prescription drug patents;
• consider and act upon a stockholder proposal concerning ethical and social performance of the Company; and
• transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

Only stockholders listed on the Company’s records at the close of business on March 7, 2003 are entitled to vote.