Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been named to Fortune’s 2022 Change the World list. The annual list recognizes companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. Merck was selected for its work expanding global access to the company’s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.

“It’s an honor for Merck to be included on Fortune’s 2022 Change the World List, and recognized for making our HPV vaccines available to communities around the world,” said Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck. “This is the third time over the last five years that our company has been on this list and we are very proud of being acknowledged for the positive impact we continue to make on global health. Our commitment and efforts in this space reflect Merck’s distinguished legacy of operating responsibly and creating value for society. Importantly, we know that even more needs to be done to advance health equity, and our team is inspired and passionate about finding new ways to bring our medicines and vaccines to people and communities everywhere.”

Merck’s access strategy for our HPV vaccines is fully aligned to the company’s Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) strategy, and specifically Merck’s commitment to expand access for people and communities around the globe. Among the specific actions Merck has taken with our HPV vaccines are:

• Collaborating with UNICEF on a long-term agreement to provide 91.5 million doses for use in Gavi-supported countries from 2021 to 2025;
• Making more than $2 billion in capital investments over the last five years to help increase supply of our HPV vaccines to extend access globally;
• Obtaining prequalification in May 2022 from WHO for our HPV vaccines to be used outside the cold chain for up to four days, helping to enhance accessibility for hard-to-reach populations.

This recognition marks the third time in five years that Merck has been included on Fortune’s Change the World list. Merck was previously recognized in 2018 for its leadership in the fight against Ebola, and in 2020 for its impact investing program. Fortune selects companies for this honor based on a set of criteria including the measurable social impact of their work to meet unmet social needs, the links between this work and successful business results, the degree of innovation demonstrated and integration of their socially beneficial work into their larger corporate identity.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’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 the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’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 the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company 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 the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 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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