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Merck Announces Quarterly Dividends and New $3 Billion Share Repurchase Program


WEBWIRE

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., At their meeting today (Nov. 24), the Board of Directors of Merck & Co., Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share on the company’s common stock for the first quarter of 2010. Payment will be made on Jan. 8, 2010 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 15, 2009.

The Board of Directors today also declared a quarterly dividend of $3.75 per share on the company’s mandatory convertible preferred stock for the first quarter of 2010. Payment will be made on Feb. 15, 2010 to preferred stockholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 1, 2010.

In a separate action, the Board of Directors approved purchases over time of up to $3 billion of Merck’s common stock for its treasury. Treasury stock purchases will be made on the open market or in block transactions or in privately negotiated transactions.

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 healthcare 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 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, 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).



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