What can we help you find?

October 3, 2014 8:00 am ET

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada,
applauds the government of Ecuador on being the second country in the
world to receive World Health Organization (WHO) verification of the
elimination of river blindness (onchocerciasis) using MECTIZAN^®
(ivermectin).

Ecuador worked in partnership with the MECTIZAN Donation Program and The
Carter Center-sponsored Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the
Americas, as well as the Pan American Health Organization, the Regional
Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), to
eliminate onchocerciasis – one of the leading causes of preventable
blindness worldwide.

“We celebrate the achievement of this critical milestone with the people
of Ecuador and the MECTIZAN Donation Program and its partners. The
verification of Ecuador as the second country in the world to eliminate
the transmission of river blindness is a highly motivating development
because it reminds us of what is possible,” said Kenneth C. Frazier,
chairman and chief executive officer of Merck. “Merck is proud to be a
part of a committed and effective alliance that continues to work toward
the ultimate goal of eliminating river blindness globally.”

For more information, please view the news releases from:

• Ecuador’s
  Ministry of Health
• PAHO/WHO
  and the Carter Center-sponsored Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for
  the Americas

About the MECTIZAN Donation Program

In October 1987, Merck announced it would donate the medication MECTIZAN
to all who need it for as long as necessary until onchocerciasis is
eliminated as a public health problem. The MECTIZAN Donation Program
reaches more than 150 million people annually.

In Latin America, since 1989, more than 13 million treatments of donated
MECTIZAN have been delivered by community health workers and
non-governmental organizations.

Learn more at www.mectizan.org.

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
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. These statements are based
upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. 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 healthcare legislation in the
United States and internationally; global trends toward healthcare 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 2013 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).

Merck
Jennifer Woodruff, 267-305-3550