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July 27, 2011 7:08 am ET

19th Edition of Medical Reference Includes Free Mobile App for One Year

The 19th edition of The Merck Manual was published today, and
although the trusted medical reference book has grown too large to be
carried in a lab coat, it now comes with a free app for pocket mobile
devices. This updated edition reflects progress in both medicine and
technology as it keeps pace with many electronic platforms used to
deliver information to health care professionals.

“The Merck Manual has always been intended to serve as the
initial stop on the road to understanding for physicians, medical
students, and other health care professionals who may encounter a topic
for the first time or need to refresh their knowledge,” said Editor,
Robert S. Porter, M.D. “Adding the new free app makes it even easier to
access the latest health care information in a mobile and readily
accessible format.”

The print edition of The Merck Manual contains nearly 4,000 pages
written by more than 300 independent contributors– all experts in their
fields. It covers psychiatry, gynecology, pediatrics, pharmacology, and
many other subjects not usually included in general medical texts. Its
detailed index, thumb tabs, and page-specific cross references make it
easy to search for specific information. A 16-page, full-color insert
showing skin, eye, oral, and other disorders has been added along with a
chapter about financial issues in health care, an appendix listing
Normal Laboratory Values, and bulleted diagnosis and treatment
summaries. A new geriatrics section includes a discussion of prevention
of disease and disability in the elderly.

The Skyscape mobile version, available for Blackberry® and Android™
devices, the iPhone® and Windows Mobile® phones, and other popular
platforms, uses technology to help transform the information found in The
Merck Manual into actionable solutions. It includes interactive
flowcharts to guide healthcare professionals through the clinical
decision-making process. Full-color images help bring the content to
life. Skyscape’s smARTlink™ technology allows users to follow their
natural workflow by linking clinical information found in The Merck
Manual to relevant information in other Skyscape medical resources,
such as drug and lab guides, treatment guidelines and journal summaries.

Trusted in Three Centuries

First published in 1899, The Merck Manual quickly became a
favorite of those in need of a comprehensive, yet compact, medical
reference. Dr. Albert Schweitzer carried the book to remote parts of
Africa in 1913, and a copy accompanied Admiral Richard E. Byrd on his
flight to the South Pole.

All Merck references are published as a not-for-profit service. Other
professional titles are The Merck Manual of Patient Symptoms, The
Merck Veterinary Manual and The Merck Index for chemists.

The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook rewords the medical
terminology contained in The Merck Manual into everyday language for the
layperson. The Merck Manual of Health & Aging is also written
for a consumer audience.

The Merck Manual has been translated into 17 languages, and more
than 10 million copies have been sold worldwide. The 19th edition costs
$79.95 and may be purchased wherever books are sold or by visiting www.merckbooks.com.

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
healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For
more information, visit www.merck.com.

Merck 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. Such statements may include,
but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the merger
between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and
operating results, the combined company’s plans, objectives,
expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical
facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and
expectations of Merck’s management and are subject to significant risks
and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to
differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the
possibility that the expected synergies from the merger of Merck and
Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the
expected time period; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation
and health care legislation; the risk that the businesses will not be
integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more
difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; Merck’s
ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on
the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for
innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health
policies in the United States and internationally and the exposure to
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 2010 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).