WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Jan. 17, 2007 -
Merck & Co., Inc. is very pleased that the National Academy of Sciences has recognized Dr. Arthur A. Patchett with this year's Award for Chemistry in Service to Society for his innovative contributions in discoveries of breakthrough medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases.
The Award honors the pioneering work of Dr. Patchett whose leadership of the medicinal chemistry team at Merck during the 1970's and 80's resulted in the discoveries of Mevacor®, the first statin that lowered cholesterol levels, and of Vasotec® and Prinivil®, two groundbreaking medicines for treating hypertension and congestive heart failure.
Dr. Patchett's pivotal work played an important role in the discovery of the statin class of cholesterol lowering agents, which also includes Zocor®. In the ensuing decades, statins have come to be widely used to treat cardiovascular disease and this use today is universally recognized as having helped to saved millions of lives around the world.
"I want to be among the many to congratulate Art for this well-deserved recognition in what continues to be a remarkable, distinguished and productive career. The contributions and vision of great scientists like Art helped to make Merck what it is today - a Company where the tradition of scientific excellence continues to this day," said Dr. Peter S. Kim, President, Merck Research Laboratories.
Dr. Patchett retired from Merck in 2000 as Vice President, Medicinal Chemistry, after 44 years with the Company. He holds nearly 200 patents covering a broad range of research areas in medicinal chemistry.
Dr. Patchett graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1951, was a Fulbright Scholar at Cambridge University in 1952, and received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University in 1955. He joined Merck in 1957 following two years with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Every two years, the Academy honors a chemist who has made significant contributions to science that meet a need in society. The last Merck recipient honored by the Academy was Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, retired CEO and President, in 1995 for his fundamental contributions to the understanding of fatty acid biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, and phospholipid metabolism, and for his leadership at Merck that led to the discovery of a number of important therapeutic and preventive agents.
The National Academy of Science will honor the 2007 recipients at their annual Awards Ceremony to be held on April 29, 2007 in Washington, D.C.
About the National Academy of Science
The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. For more information, visit www.nasonline.org.
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.
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