New Survey Reveals That More Than Half of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Europe...

New Survey Reveals That More Than Half of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in
Europe and Canada Feel Their Disease Controls Their Lives

Three-of-Four Patients Surveyed Experience Daily Pain From Rheumatoid
Arthritis Despite Current Treatment; Findings Unveiled at the European League
Against Rheumatism Annual Congress of Rheumatology

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Results from the
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Insights, Strategies & Expectations (RAISE) survey of
more than 500 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients throughout Europe and Canada
revealed a majority of patients still suffer from pain (79 percent), fatigue
(67 percent) and joint stiffness (57 percent) on a regular basis despite
current treatment, while more than half (51 percent) of RA patients feel their
disease controls their life.

Furthermore, one-third of people with RA surveyed believe nothing can be done
to stop the progression of the disease. The survey results were accepted for
poster presentation at the 2009 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)
Annual Congress of Rheumatology in Copenhagen.

The RAISE survey sheds light on the unmet needs of RA patients regarding
physician/patient consultation and support, treatment preferences and quality
of life issues. Findings from the survey were also premiered at a special
roundtable discussion between several of Europe's leading rheumatologists and
RA patients representing key advocacy organizations from the United Kingdom,
Sweden, Spain, Italy and Germany. The survey was commissioned by
Schering-Plough Corporation and conducted by an independent public polling
organization.

"Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating disease that has a significant impact
on a patient's quality of life," said Iain McInnes, MD, PhD, FRCP, Professor
of Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, University of Glasgow, UK and RAISE
Patient Needs Panel Steering Group member. "More than half of the surveyed
patients feel that their lives are controlled by their rheumatoid arthritis
symptoms, demonstrating a clear need for more effective treatment options for
these sufferers."

About 25 percent of people with RA who are currently on a subcutaneous
injectable medication rely on caregivers or healthcare providers to administer
the medication while 24 percent of patients who self-inject experience pain
upon injection and 20 percent experience irritation at the injection site. Of
those people who self-inject, approximately 12 percent described the process
as somewhat difficult demonstrating the unmet need for patient-friendly,
self-injectable devices and formulations that are less painful.

Furthermore, people with RA would be willing to try a new biologic if the
product was developed with patient-friendly features, including: working
consistently (76 percent); offering once-monthly administration (75 percent);
simple instructions (69 percent); easier auto-injector (66 percent) and
producing less injection site reactions (56 percent).

"When we examine the survey findings, we are reminded of the importance of
communication between physicians and patients and the need to increase
discussion to include a range of issues related to rheumatoid arthritis,
including the impact the disease has on quality of life," said Gerd Burmester,
MD, Professor of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology,
Charite University Hospital, Berlin, Germany and RAISE Patient Needs Panel
Steering Group member. "Understanding the patients' viewpoints and
expectations can provide a valuable perspective to rheumatologists and help
shape our management and treatment strategies."

In addition to assessing the impact of living with RA and identifying the
opportunities for improvement in patient/physician consultation and support,
the survey sought to determine how biologic therapies may help meet an unmet
need and understand patient attitudes about currently available treatments.

Additional Key Findings
Biologic Treatments - The surveyed patients were either on biologic therapy or
were biologic naive but eligible for biologic treatment based on a broad set
of criteria. Of those patients currently taking an anti-TNF therapy, over
three-quarters said that their treatment reduces the amount of joint pain and
swelling and 71 percent feel that their medication is well tolerated. Only 11
percent of biologic eligible patients had ever been recommended a biologic
treatment by a physician. Additionally, a majority of the biologic-eligible
patients would be willing to try a medication requiring an injection if the
product: stopped disease progression (89 percent); relieved more symptoms for
a greater period of time (86 percent); didn't hurt at the time of injection
(75 percent) and was easy to use (73 percent).

Current Treatments - A total of 66 percent of people with RA surveyed feel
their current treatment provides only short-term relief, while almost 20
percent of people with RA believe their current medication produces
inconsistent results. Furthermore, patients cite the pain and discomfort they
receive at the injection site as well as tolerance issues as drawbacks from
their current medication.

"This large patient survey provides key insights into how patients with
rheumatoid arthritis live with their disease and how therapy may impact their
ability to manage their RA," said Bernard Combe, MD, PhD, Professor of
Rheumatology, Immuno-Rhumatologie, Hospital Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France
and RAISE Patient Needs Panel Steering Group member. "Almost 20 percent of
the surveyed patients said their current treatment produces inconsistent
results, which confirms there is a significant need for newer treatment
options for this patient population."

About the RAISE Patient Needs Survey
The RAISE survey is part of an educational initiative designed to gain insight
into the management and treatment of RA from both health care provider and
patient points-of-view. The first program executed under RAISE was a
large-scale survey of RA patients designed to: better understand the
perceptions of RA patients and their therapy; characterize the patients view
on unmet needs and increase physician awareness of the perceptions of their
patients and their unmet therapy needs. The survey was conducted October
through December 2008.

A total of 586 patients, approximately 30 biologic naive and 35 currently
using anti-TNF alpha agents from nine countries (Canada, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom), were
interviewed.

Development of the survey was guided by the RAISE Patient Needs Panel Steering
Group, comprised of Drs. Gerd Burmester, Bernard Combe, and Iain McInnes.
Additionally a Country Panel of 53 rheumatology experts from the nine
countries contributed to the survey on a local country-specific level. Two
patient organizations also had the opportunity to review the survey and
provide questions they believed important to include in this initiative.

The final survey included, but was not limited to, questions covering RA
diagnosis and physician visits, methods for obtaining information and support
for the management of RA, daily living with RA, and patients' beliefs around
their current treatment.

About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and debilitating disease that affects
approximately one percent of Canadian adults and more than three million
people in Europe. Signs and symptoms of RA include pain, stiffness and motion
restriction in multiple joints. Because RA is a progressive disease, it can
cause permanent joint deformity and severe disability if not diagnosed early
or if initial treatment is delayed. RA can occur at any age, but is most
common in adults 30-50 years old and is two-to-three times more prevalent in
women than in men. The cause of RA is unknown, although genetic factors may
contribute to the disease.

About Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care
company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with
partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives
around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform
to human prescription and consumer products as well as to animal health
products. Schering-Plough's vision is to "Earn Trust, Every Day" with the
doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues
around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site
is www.schering-plough.com.

SCHERING-PLOUGH DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information in this press release
includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements
relating to the potential market for SIMPONI.

Forward-looking statements relate to expectations or forecasts of future
events. Schering-Plough does not assume the obligation to update any
forward-looking statement. Many factors could cause actual results to differ
materially from Schering-Plough's forward-looking statements, including market
forces, economic factors, product availability, patent and other intellectual
property protection, current and future branded, generic or over-the-counter
competition, the regulatory process, and any developments following regulatory
approval, among other uncertainties. For further details about these and
other factors that may impact the forward-looking statements, see
Schering-Plough's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including Item
1A. "Risk Factors" in Schering-Plough's 2009 10-Q, filed May 1, 2009

SOURCE Schering-Plough

Catherine Cantone, +1-908-298-3944, Mobile: +1-908-327-3103; Investor
Contacts: Janet Barth or Joe Romanelli, +1-908-298-7436, all for
Schering-Plough