Merck Announces Launch of Pioneering Collaborative Cancer Trials Network at
2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting

-- Merck strengthens its commitment to oncology --

KIRKLAND, QC, June 4 /CNW Telbec/ - Merck announced the launch of the Merck Oncology Collaborative Trials Network, a pioneering clinical trial network focusing on the development of Merck drug and vaccine candidates being investigated for the treatment and prevention of cancer. The global network comprises leading cancer research centers who will partner with Merck to speed the development of innovative treatments for a range of cancers.

Cancer is a diverse group of diseases that accounts for 7.4 million deaths (around 13 per cent of all deaths) worldwide every year, making it a leading cause of death globally.(1) According to a recent Institute of Medicine report, about half of collaborative cancer studies are never completed due to cumbersome procedures, bureaucracy and poor coordination.(2) The report suggested that collaborative research approaches could be improved by reducing the number of sites, properly funding research efforts, setting strict deadlines and prioritizing studies based on potential. The Merck Oncology Collaborative Trials Network embodies many of these principles.

"Despite recent advances, there remains an urgent need for effective treatments for cancer, and the pace of traditional drug development often lags far behind the latest science," said Malcolm Moore M.D., head of Medical and Hematological Oncology at Princess Margaret Hospital and a scientist at the Ontario Cancer Institute. "We are proud to participate in this unique network, which will create the access and the infrastructure for coordinated investigation of the latest clinical hypotheses in cancer research. The Merck Oncology Collaborative Trials Network could serve as a blueprint for how industry and research institutions can work together more efficiently and effectively to expedite the delivery of innovative cancer therapies to patients."

Through a rigorous proposal and feedback process, the research sites will lead the design and conduct of Phase 0 to 2a clinical studies of Merck's investigational oncology candidates. Every year, the network will enroll approximately 1,200 patients in 30 to 40 clinical trials. These studies will include investigator and company sponsored trials. Infrastructure to consolidate data, specimen testing results, imaging testing results, and patient outcomes is being developed. This approach will lead to more informed, data-driven, and rapid decision making regarding the efficacy and safety profile of compounds and the utility of biomarkers developed by Merck or its collaborators.

The network currently consists of 15 sites across North America, South America, Europe and Asia as follows:

    
    Brazil:
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    - National Cancer Institute of Brazil (INCA), Rio de Janeiro
    - Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da
      Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo

    Canada:
    -------
    - Princess Margaret Hospital and Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto

    France:
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    - Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif

    Israel:
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    - Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

    Korea:
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    - Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul
    - Yonsei Cancer Center, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health
      System, Seoul

    Netherlands:
    ------------
    - Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam

    Norway:
    -------
    - Oslo University Hospital, Oslo

    Taiwan:
    -------
    - National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei

    United States of America:
    -------------------------
    - Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN, Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville,
      FL
    - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
    - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY
    - START Clinic, San Antonio, TX
    - University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family
      Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
    

"Merck has strengthened its commitment to accelerating drug and vaccine development for people with cancer, and this unique network is a cornerstone of our strategy," said Gary Gilliland M.D., senior vice president of Merck Research Laboratories and Oncology Franchise Head. "By partnering at an early stage with global centers of excellence and combining our strengths in key areas such as biomarkers, information technology and adaptive clinical trial design, we are fundamentally changing the way we evaluate and advance our oncology pipeline."

Clinical Data on Oncology Pipeline Candidates at 2010 ASCO

Merck & Co., Inc. also announced that new early-stage clinical data on several investigational cancer agents are being featured at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago. These candidates are part of Merck's growing oncology pipeline, which includes small molecules, biologics and therapeutic vaccine candidates targeting multiple biological pathways involved in the development and progression of cancer.

Among the early-stage studies being presented are three oral presentations:

    
    - "A Phase I study of the oral mTOR inhibitor ridaforolimus in
      combination with the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor
      antibody dalotuzumab in patients with advanced solid tumors." (Abstract
      #3008)
    - "A first-in-man trial of poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor
      MK-4827 in advanced cancer patients with anti-tumor activity in BRCA-
      deficient and sporadic ovarian cancers." (Abstract #3001)
    - "A Phase I trial of the selective AKT inhibitor MK-2206 evaluating
      alternate daily and once-weekly doses in advanced cancer patients with
      evidence of target modulation and antitumor activity." (Abstract
      #3009)
    

Merck's Commitment to Oncology

Merck is committed to advancing all aspects of cancer care - prevention, treatment and supportive care. Through strong internal research capabilities, selective alliances and acquisitions, and enabling technologies, Merck is looking to lead in the discovery, development and delivery of targeted anticancer therapies.

Today's Merck is developing candidates that target key pathways and processes involved in the growth and progression of cancer, including PI3 kinase and other signaling pathways; DNA damage repair, cell-cycle and checkpoint pathways; and developmental pathways. Merck is also pursuing novel cancer vaccines.

Merck's expanded commitment to oncology builds on a strong portfolio of medicines and a diverse pipeline of investigational agents. In addition, Merck is committed to helping ensure eligible patients have access to our medicines.

About Merck

Today's Merck is working to help the world be well. Merck is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, consumer and animal health products. In Canada, Merck* markets over 530 pharmaceutical, consumer and animal health products and is a leader in a broad range of areas such as cardiology, immunology, infectious diseases, respiratory, vaccines, women's health and sun care, and is focused on expanding offerings in other areas, including virology, oncology and diabetes.

Merck is one of the top 25 R&D investors in Canada, with an investment of $121 million in 2008 and has one of the largest biomedical research facilities in Canada with the mandate to discover new therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases. Merck also has a large manufacturing facility in Quebec dedicated to the annual production of some 35 million units including the Claritin and Aerius brands. Based in Montréal, Quebec, Merck employs over 1800 people across Canada. For more information about our operations in Canada, visit www.merck.ca.

    
    *Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. and Schering-Plough Canada Inc. are
       integrating their operations to form a new organization called Merck.
    

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 2009 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).

    
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    (1) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/index.html
    (2) Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, A National Cancer
        Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century: Reinvigorating the NCI
        Cooperative Group Program, April 15, 2010
    

For further information: Julie Wu, [phone]