ISENTRESS™ (raltegravir) Awarded Prix Galien USA Top Honor

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Sept. 25, 2008 - ISENTRESS™ (raltegravir), Merck's medicine for HIV/AIDS, received the Prix Galien USA 2008 Award for Best Pharmaceutical Agent, Merck & Co., Inc. announced today.

"We are delighted that more than a decade of work by Merck researchers has been recognized with such a prestigious award," said Dr. Peter S. Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories.  "We congratulate the hard working and dedicated people who developed this product."

The Prix Galien recognizes the pharmaceutical industry's outstanding achievement in the development of new medicines.  An internationally recognized award, the Prix Galien was founded in France in 1969 by French pharmacist, Roland Mehl, and the 2007 ceremony was the Prix Galien's inaugural event in the United States.  The Prix Galien, often considered the industry's equivalent of the Nobel Prize, is the highest accolade for pharmaceutical research and development.

The award was presented at a ceremony in New York City on Sept. 24, and follows previous Prix Galien top honors awarded to Merck in 2007 for its GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] vaccine for best biotechnology product, and for JANUVIA™ (sitagliptin), for best pharmaceutical agent.  In addition former Merck CEO P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., was given the prestigious Pro Bono Humanum Award for his dedication to improved global health through Merck's ongoing campaign to eliminate river blindness (onchocerciasis).

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.

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