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October 1, 2013 9:00 am ET

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada,
today announced the presentation of data from studies evaluating the
company’s investigational oral chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)
treatments MK-5172 and MK-8742 at the 64^th American
Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting (AASLD). The
meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., Nov. 1-5, 2013.

“Merck is committed to developing HCV therapies that have the potential
to offer new options for a broad range of patient types,” said Dr. Eliav
Barr, vice president, Infectious Diseases, Merck Research Laboratories.
“We continue to build upon our strong legacy in HCV and look forward to
sharing the latest clinical data for our investigational HCV therapies,
MK-5172 and MK-8742.”

MK-5172 is an investigational, once-daily, oral HCV NS3/4A protease
inhibitor currently in Phase IIB development. MK-8742 is an
investigational, once-daily, oral HCV NS5A replication complex inhibitor
currently in Phase IIB development. Both candidates are being evaluated
in broad clinical programs that include investigations in various HCV
segments, multiple HCV genotypes and patients who have previously failed
prior therapy.

Selected presentations of clinical data for MK-5172 and MK-8742

• High Efficacy and Safety of the All-Oral Combination Regimen,
  MK-5172/MK-8742 +/- RBV for 12 Weeks in HCV Genotype 1 Infected
  Patients: The C-WORTHY Study. Lawitz, E., et al. Oral Presentation
  #76: Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, 5:30-5:45 p.m.
• Kinetic Analyses of Antiviral Suppression by NS5A Inhibitors Reveal
  Early and Potent Inhibition of Viral Assembly and Release. McGivern,
  D.R., et al. Oral Presentation #78: Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, 6:00-6:15
  p.m.
• High Efficacy at Lower Doses of MK-5172 25mg and 50mg Daily for 12
  weeks in HCV Genotype (G) 1 Treatment-Naïve Non-Cirrhotic Patients.
  Vierling, J., N et al. Poster #1123. Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, 8:00 a.m.
  to 5:30 p.m.
• Efficacy and Safety of an Interferon-Free Regimen of MK-5172 +
  Ribavirin for 12 Weeks or 24 Weeks in Treatment-Naïve, Non-Cirrhotic
  Subjects with HCV GT1 Infection: The C-SPIRIT Study. Gane, E.J., et
  al., Poster #1110. Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• MK-8742, a HCV NS5A Inhibitor with a Broad Spectrum of HCV Genotypic
  Activity, Demonstrates Potent Antiviral Activity in Genotype-1 and -3
  HCV-Infected Patients. Yeh, W. W., et al. Poster #479. Saturday, Nov.
  2, 2013, 2:00-7:30 p.m.

The abstracts were published today and can be accessed on the AASLD
website. For program information, please visit: http://www.aasld.org/livermeeting/program/Pages/default.aspx

About Merck

Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be
well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and
consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and
operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health
solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to
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Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based
upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no
guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will
receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will be
commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or
risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially
from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry
conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest
rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of
pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the
United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost
containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained
by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development,
including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately
predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays;
financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections
for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including
patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ
materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be
found in Merck’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at
the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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