Merck Expands Its Patient Assistance Program To Allow More People To Receive Its Medicines For Free

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., March 12, 2009 - Merck & Co., Inc., is increasing the number of people who may benefit from the Merck Patient Assistance Program by raising the amount of income potential patients can earn and still qualify to receive Merck medicines for free.  The medicines available through the program are for chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure that affect millions of people.

Patients in the United States now may be eligible for the program if their household income is at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is set by the U.S. government.  This means that patients now qualify if they have a household income of $43,320 or less for individuals, $58,280 or less for couples, or $88,200 or less for a family of four, even if the financial situation is temporary due to unemployment or other reasons.  Previously, patients were eligible if they were 200 percent or below FPL, which currently is $21,660, $29,140 and $44,100¹, respectively.

"During these difficult economic times, Merck remains committed to helping people get the medicines they need," said Kenneth C. Frazier, president, Global Human Health, Merck & Co., Inc.,  "For more than 50 years, the Merck Patient Assistance Program has helped millions of patients by providing Merck medicines free of charge.  Our recent enhancement to the program will enable us to help even more people."  

Although Merck provides free medicines to eligible, uninsured people through the Merck Patient Assistance Program, that is not enough to help the problem of a growing uninsured population.  Merck is working to support healthcare reform efforts that will create access to affordable health insurance for all Americans.  Universal health coverage would encourage more timely visits to physicians' offices and diagnoses of an illness or condition, and also would include prescription drug coverage for those who require treatment. 

The Merck Patient Assistance Program has a simple enrollment process and offers free delivery of medicines for enrolled patients to their home or doctor's office for up to one year.  Patients may be re-enrolled if they continue to need assistance.  For more information and enrollment forms, visit www.MerckHelps.com or call (800) PAP-5400.  The Merck Patient Assistance Program is one of the oldest and most generous assistance programs in the industry.  Over the past seven years, Merck has provided more than 1.7 million prescriptions to patients through the Merck Patient Assistance Program, at a value of $1.9 billion. 

Merck will continue to expand its efforts to increase awareness of the Merck Patient Assistance Program.  These efforts include community-based approaches, traditional and non-traditional advertisements, and through healthcare professionals and partners who have shared goal of ensuring people have access to medicines they need. 

This latest change by Merck to increase the income limit for eligible patients continues the pattern of improving the 50-year-old Merck Patient Assistance Program.  In 2002, the enrollment form was simplified (to one page) and delivery options were expanded to allow the shipment of medicines directly to a patient's home (vs. doctor office only).  With the introduction in 2006 of a prescription drug benefit for the elderly through Medicare Part D, the Merck Patient Assistance Program continued to provide free medicines to certain Medicare beneficiaries. 

Other Merck Programs That Can Help
To further support access to our medicines and vaccines in the United States beyond the Merck Patient Assistance Program, Merck also offers the Merck Prescription Discount Program that provides discounts to uninsured patients taking our prescription medicines, regardless of age or income.  Merck also provides free vaccines through the Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program, which was added in 2006, to adults over age 19 who do not have health insurance coverage.  For patients prescribed our medicines for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Merck offers two additional programs to assist insured patients with reimbursement issues and help uninsured, qualified patients receive our medicines free of charge.

Other Programs That Can Help
"During this time of economic uncertainty, too many Americans live with the fear that they or a family member will not have access to medicines they need because they lack insurance or a drug benefit," said Billy Tauzin, president and CEO, Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).  "The nearly 200 patient assistance programs directly sponsored by America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are helping to ease those fears by helping patients across America get the medicines they need to live longer, healthier lives."

For more information on PhRMA's Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit www.pparx.org or call 1-888-4PPA-NOW. 

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, 2008, 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 The current household incomes for 400 percent and 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are for 48 continental states.

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