Merck Strengthens Its Commitment to Advancing Cardiovascular Health Care

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(Business Wire)--
Following the completion of its merger with Schering-Plough, Merck today
confirms and underscores its commitment to marketing and developing
cardiovascular medicines for a range of cardiovascular disorders.

"Today's Merck has a robust portfolio and pipeline of cardiovascular medicines
for conditions ranging from heart disease to metabolic syndrome. More than ever,
our new company is committed to improving patient outcomes and providing
comprehensive solutions to prevent and treat heart disease," said Peter S. Kim,
Ph.D., president, Merck Research Laboratories. "We're confident more can be done
through science and education to save and improve the lives of people suffering
from cardiovascular disease." Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause
of death globally. More people die annually from cardiovascular diseases than
from any other cause.

The company's renewed commitment builds on a deep heritage of scientific
excellence in cardiovascular medicine. In the past 50 years, Merck and
Schering-Plough have, when combined, introduced more than 40 products targeting
cardiovascular diseases. Today's Merck offers a range of products and tools for
cholesterol management and hypertension to address the needs of diverse patient
types. We also are transforming how our commercial organization interacts with
health care providers and patients by aligning those interactions around the
common goal of improving patient outcomes.

Developing Breakthrough Cardiovascular Medicines

Today's Merck is investing billions of dollars annually in research and
development. More than 1,000 of our scientists and professionals are engaged in
the fight against heart disease, and the companies' combined pipeline creates a
strong and promising future of breakthrough cardiovascular medicines. Our
researchers are using diverse science -- from integrated genomics to
experimental medicine -- to identify novel targets and to map the links between
heart disease and illnesses like diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Our mid- to late-stage pipeline includes more than eight innovative
investigational candidates for the treatment of a wide range of cardiovascular
diseases including atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation and thrombosis, ischemic
reperfusion injury and hypertension.

Merck also continues to lead the way in implementing large clinical studies with
the potential to advance understanding of the role of medicines in
cardiovascular outcomes and has over six large cardiovascular outcomes trials
underway.

"No other health care company is doing more to study cardiovascular disease than
today's Merck," said Dr. Kim. "Our outcomes trials alone include more than
90,000 patients and are being conducted in approximately 40 countries. And, we
have more than 50 other ongoing trials focused on testing investigational
medicines for cardiovascular disease."

Collaborating and Partnering to Advance Cardiovascular Care

Today's Merck is strengthening and forming new strategic alliances to advance
cardiovascular research and development. The company has ongoing cardiovascular
collaborations with Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Cardiome
Pharma Corp., Galapagos NV, NicOx, Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Millennium,
PeriCor Therapeutics, Inc., Portola Pharmaceuticals, and Xenon Pharmaceuticals.
Merck also is partnering with academic institutions such as Oxford University;
Duke Clinical Research Institute; Harvard University, The TIMI Study Group,
Brigham and Women's Hospital; Columbia University, Atherosclerosis Research
Center; University of Pennsylvania; Baylor School of Medicine, University of
Washington; and Montreal Heart Institute. In addition Merck is a founding member
of the HRP Initiative, a joint research and development effort to advance the
understanding, recognition and management of high-risk plaque.

"Innovation depends on thousands of scientists building on each other's
breakthroughs and scientific collaboration speeds up the innovative process,"
said Dr. Kim. "Merck has a renewed sense of urgency and focus and, through new
and existing collaborations, we will bring resources to the best external
science wherever it emerges."

Improving Patient Outcomes with Education and Philanthropy

Today's Merck is committed to improving cardiovascular care through medical
education, and philanthropy. The company supports a variety of patient, medical
and scientific education initiatives for the purpose of helping health care
professionals achieve improved cardiovascular outcomes for their patients.

For example, Merck supports American Heart Association (AHA) initiatives such as
the Pharmaceutical Roundtable, Go Red For Women, and the AHA Annual Scientific
Sessions. Additionally, we have supported the American College of Cardiology's
Fellowship program for nearly 30 years as well as the Future Leaders in CV
Medical Research for the past four years.

Since 2008, the company has taken important steps to increase the public's level
of knowledge and understanding of how Merck supports and advances medical and
scientific education. Merck believes that increasing the visibility of its
educational and philanthropic activities across all aspects will enhance the
public trust in the company and increase the level of knowledge and
understanding of how Merck helps advance medical and scientific education and
health care overall.

"Our reputation, and the trust that health care providers and patients place in
us, depends in large part on how we conduct ourselves as a business," said Dr.
Kim. "We strive to operate openly and transparently in everything we do and to
apply the highest standards of ethics and scientific integrity to everything we
do."

Merck also is fighting cardiovascular disease by helping uninsured and
financially-struggling patients who lack prescription coverage gain access
Merck's patient assistance programs (PAP). Merck's PAP provides free or
discounted medicines for chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. In
2008 alone, approximately 1.5 million prescriptions were filled under the Merck
Patient Assistance Program. More information about Merck's PAP is available at
www.merckhelps.com.

About Merck

Today's Merck is working to help the world be well. Through our medicines,
vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer and animal 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 health
care through far-reaching programs that donate and deliver our products to the
people who need them. Merck. Be Well. 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 proposed 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 and Schering-Plough`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, due to, among
other things, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and pending
legislation that could affect the pharmaceutical industry; 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 2008 Annual Report on
Form 10-K, Schering-Plough`s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly
period ended Sept. 30, 2009, the proxy statement filed by Merck on June 25, 2009
and each company`s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) available at the SEC`s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Merck
Media:
Ronald Rogers, 1-908-391-4302
Ian R. McConnell, 1-973-901-5722
OR
Investors:
Carol Ferguson, 1-908-423-4465
Joe Romanelli, 1-908-423-5088

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