Merck Announces Continued Commitment to Global Responsibility
September 13, 2012 7:08 am ET
Report Shows Progress in the Company’s Four Priority Areas
Today Merck (NYSE: MRK) — known as MSD outside the United States and
Canada – issued its 2011 global corporate responsibility report. The
report reviews performance and activities within the four key corporate
responsibility areas that the company has identified as mission
critical: Access to Health, Environmental Sustainability, Employees
and Ethics and Transparency. Some notable highlights from
2011, by the numbers:
— People reached through our major responsibility programs and
partnerships: 273 million
— Healthcare workers trained: 51,600
— Investment in partnerships to address underlying barriers to health:
$34.7 million
— Research & Development expenses: $8.5 billion
— Percent of the top 20 global disease burdens addressed by our
products: 53 percent
— Reduction of global water use: 1 billion gallons
— Percentage of women in executive roles: 35 percent
— Estimated employee volunteer hours: 210,500
— Global Corporate Giving: $1.3 billion
Please join in our Twitter conversation at #BeWell to learn more.
Merck continues to use several external reporting guidelines including
the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI 3.1) Guidelines, the Millennium
Development Goals, the Access to Medicine Index and the United Nations
Global Compact Communication on Progress.
Merck for Mothers
Many new programs and initiatives were launched in 2011, including Merck
for Mothers, a 10-year, half-billion-dollar initiative to create a
world where no woman has to die from complications of pregnancy and
childbirth. This initiative aims to bring this issue to the forefront of
global consciousness, develop new technologies and speed life-saving
solutions to women across the globe. Go to www.MerckForMothers.com
to learn more.
To learn more about why innovation and corporate responsibility are at
the core of our business strategy and activities, and to also learn
about the new partnerships and programs launched in 2011, go to: www.MerckResponsibility.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
and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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 all of 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 in the United States and
internationally; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market
conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other
protections for innovative products; 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 2011 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).
