WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Sept. 24, 2009 -
Merck offered the following statement today after the announcement of results from the Phase III HIV vaccine trial.
"The development of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection represents the best hope for containing the AIDS pandemic. This scientific pursuit has been one of the most challenging tasks facing modern medicine. The data released today from the RV 144 study are an important contribution to the growing body of scientific knowledge in HIV vaccine research," said Dr. Peter S. Kim, Ph.D., president, Merck Research Laboratories. "We applaud the researchers, study sponsors and trial volunteers who contributed to the results being shared today, including the thousands of scientists in laboratories around the world whose efforts advanced understanding of HIV and identified potential pathways to facilitate vaccine development. We look forward to learning more about the results emerging from the RV 144 study. It is likely that significant efforts will be needed to fully understand the study results and to appreciate how they will inform the next steps to develop and deliver a safe and effective HIV vaccine. We at Merck remain very committed to understanding the evolving scientific landscape in HIV vaccine research and working with the broader scientific community to define the next steps."
About Merck and Merck's HIV research program
Merck’s efforts to develop investigational treatments and a vaccine against HIV/AIDS have been under way for more than 20 years and continue today. Our HIV research program began in 1986, and Merck scientists were the first to characterize the role of HIV protease in the HIV life cycle and to publish the crystal structure of the HIV protease enzyme, which helped the research community design protease inhibitors to block HIV infection by this mechanism. Merck's research efforts led to the development of several HIV medicines.
In September, 2007, Merck, the HIV Vaccine Trials Network and the National Institutes of Health announced that the HIV vaccine created by Merck Research Laboratories, which had been in development at Merck for more than a decade, was not effective. The Merck adenovirus-based vaccine used a cell-mediated immune response approach; it was hypothesized that the HIV genes in the vaccine would stimulate the body to generate an HIV-specific immune response through the body’s own CD8 T-cells, which become programmed to recognize and kill HIV infected cells. Since these results were presented, Merck and its collaborators have widely shared the clinical and immunological data from this study to inform the search for an effective HIV vaccine.
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.
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