Merck & Co., Inc., Announces New Disclosures in Just-Released Corporate Responsibility Report

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Oct. 27, 2008 - Starting today, Merck will begin disclosing grants provided by its Global Human Health Division to U.S. organizations in support of independent accredited educational programs for health care professionals, the portion of dues that major U.S.-based trade associations report to the Company as being used for advocacy and/or political activities in the United States, and the registration status by country for two of the Company's newest vaccines and all of its HIV medicines as part of its increased commitment to transparency. Merck will begin disclosing the information in its 2006-2007 global corporate responsibility (CR) report, which it published today at www.merck.com/corporate-responsibility/.

The report, focused on the theme of "Listening, responding and working toward a healthier future," includes more than 65 key performance indicators on environmental, social and governance issues of greatest significance to Merck and its stakeholders.

"Patient groups and health care professionals, governments and nongovernmental organizations, payors and investors, our communities and our own employees have expressed their needs, concerns and expectations," said Merck Chairman, President and CEO Richard T. Clark.  "We believe that the best way to address the concerns, risks and questions facing our business and to build a foundation of trust is to be more transparent about the way we operate.  By doing this, I am confident that we will continue to succeed in our most fundamental responsibility – discovering and developing medicines and vaccines that make a difference in people's lives and create a healthier future." 

Focusing on What Matters to Stakeholders and to Company's Success
Based on feedback from stakeholders and the Company's own analysis, Merck focuses its latest CR report on five specific corporate responsibility issues:

• Researching and developing new medicines and vaccines that address unmet needs
  
  
• Improving access to medicines, vaccines and health care
  
  
• Ensuring confidence in the safety and quality of our products
  
  
• Conducting ourselves ethically and transparently
  
  
• Managing our environmental footprint

The report provides greater detail than the Company has in the past on these issues in terms of the challenges it faces, its strategy and its performance.  The report includes key performance indicators, metrics and targets for many of the areas discussed.

Based on input from stakeholders since its last report, Merck also seeks to articulate the business case for CR at Merck; to provide greater emphasis of CR impact; to explain how CR is integrated and governed within Merck; to be more explicit about how the Company measures and manages its operational risks; and to create a more robust stakeholder engagement process by including stakeholder voices in its annual CR report.

The report also includes key highlights from the past two years, including:

• In 2006-2007, Merck launched seven new products, including ISENTRESS® (raltegravir) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced patients, ROTATEQ® (rotavirus vaccine, live, oral pentavalent) to help protect against rotavirus, JANUVIA™ (sitagliptin phosphate) for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and GARDASIL® [human papillomavirus quadrivalent (types 6, 11, 16, 18) vaccine, recombinant] for prevention of cervical cancer, precancerous or dysplastic lesions, and genital warts caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus.
      
  
• In 2007, Merck expanded its commitment to registering at trial initiation all clinical trials (Phase I-V) in patients that it sponsors and conducts worldwide on the www.ClinicalTrials.gov Web site.  Previously, starting in 2005, Merck registered clinical trials of Phases II-V.
  
  
• 2007, marked the 20^th anniversary of our MECTIZAN® Donation Program, which delivers MECTIZAN® (ivermectin) for treating river blindness and preventing lymphatic filariasis for as long as necessary.  In November 2007, public health officials announced that transmission of river blindness had been halted in Colombia, the first time that the disease has been eliminated as a public health problem on a country-wide basis anywhere in the world.
  
  
• Earlier in 2008, Merck announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Merck's global operations by 12 percent by the end of 2012 from a 2004 baseline.

Merck used several external guidelines and measurement frameworks to inform the scope of its reporting, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI 3) Guidelines¹, the Millennium Development Goals²  and the Access to Medicines Index³.  Merck reports at a self-declared reporting level of B on the GRI3 Guidelines, which has been confirmed by the GRI.

In addition to the 64-page print report, additional information, case studies and metrics are available at www.merck.com/corporate-responsibility/.  An abbreviated executive summary with key highlights of the Company's CR activities will also available on the Web site later this year.  Hard copies of the report and executive summary are available upon request on the website.

Stakeholder Input Helps Frame Report
In June-July 2008, Merck spoke with more than 20 external stakeholders representing a variety of constituencies about the Company's planned approach to reporting, Merck's CR materiality assessment process and the broad corporate responsibility areas upon which it planned to report.  The Company reflected their comments where feasible and appropriate in its website and CR report and will use the insights gained through these and continuing discussions with stakeholders to inform future reporting.

The Company encourages stakeholder feedback on the report at www.merck.com/corporate-responsibility/ or by writing to Merck & Co., Inc., Office of Corporate Responsibility, WS2A-55, One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, N.J., 08889, U.S.A.

Merck plans to publish its next report in 2009.

About Merck
Merck & Co., Inc., is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first.  Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs.  The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them.  Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service.  For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Merck's business, particularly those mentioned in the risk factors and cautionary statements in Item 1A of Merck's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2007, and in any risk factors or cautionary statements contained in the Company's periodic reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K, which the Company incorporates by reference.

¹ http://www.globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/G3Guidelines/

²http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

³http://www.atmindex.org/

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