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June 2, 2011 7:08 am ET

Water is Fundamental to Company’s Mission

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, announced
today that it has signed on to the CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of
the United Nations Global Compact designed to assist companies in the
development, implementation and disclosure of water sustainability
policies and practices.

The commitment supports Merck’s new global water strategy through which
the company seeks to achieve sustainable water management within its
operations and to minimize its impact on local water supplies, while
also working to reduce the impact of water-related illness through its
products, partnerships, advocacy efforts, and employee volunteerism.
Merck’s water strategy is part of its broader environmental
sustainability priority, a key component of the company’s approach to
corporate responsibility.

“Access to clean water is critical to the world’s health and our
mission,” said Merck President and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier. “As Merck
grows, our business, customers and supplier networks are expanding into
regions of the world where availability of clean water and sanitation
are under pressure. We are committed to doing our part to help address
this global challenge.”

An estimated 2.8 billion people live in areas of high water stress
today, while 1.1 billion people – almost one-fifth of all humanity –
lack access to at least a gallon per day of safe water. Unsafe and
inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene cause approximately 3.1 percent
of all deaths, totalling more than 1.7 million deaths annually.

In 2009, Merck used eight billion gallons of water. The majority of
Merck’s water use is for manufacturing process-related heating and
cooling and pure water production.

Through its global strategy, Merck has publicly committed to:

Reduce the company’s operational water footprint

Report publicly on the company’s water use and goalsPublicly advocate
for good water policyWork to address water needs in local
communitiesEngage the company’s employees to be water stewards at work,
at home and in their local communities

Merck has a global water reduction program that requires all of its
major facilities to document how much water is coming into the site, how
it is used, how much is reused and where it is discharged. Merck
recently set new near-term water goals to reduce its 2009 use of water
by 15 percent by 2015 and by 25 percent by 2020. The company is
committed to disclosing its progress against this target annually
through its non-financial reporting and through the Carbon Disclosure
Project (CDP) Water assessment.

About the CEO Water Mandate

The
CEO Water Mandate recognizes that the business sector, through the
production of goods and services, impacts water resources – both
directly and through supply chains. Endorsing CEOs acknowledge that in
order to operate in a more sustainable manner, and contribute to the
vision of the UN Global Compact and the realization of the Millennium
Development Goals, they have a responsibility to make water-resources
management a priority, and to work with governments, UN agencies,
non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to address this
global water challenge. The CEO Water Mandate covers six elements:
Direct Operations; Supply Chain and Watershed Management; Collective
Action; Public Policy; Community Engagement; and Transparency. By
signing, CEOs commit their respective companies to adopting and
implementing a comprehensive approach to water management that
incorporates the Mandate’s six elements.

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.

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 U.S. 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).