March 11, 2020 9:00 am EDT

KENILWORTH, N.J., March 11, 2020 – Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that Organon & Co. will be the name of the new company to be created through the intended spinoff of its women’s health, trusted legacy brands and biosimilars businesses.

Organon has been an important part of Merck since the 2009 Schering-Plough acquisition. The Organon name has strong brand equity and engenders great respect among health care professionals for its dedication and innovation in women’s health. 

“We chose a name that will instill trust and build on the strong legacy of Organon’s commitment to innovation in women’s health,” explained Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and CEO of Merck. “The new Organon will carry forward this legacy by continuing to focus on meeting the unmet healthcare needs of women around the world.”

Fueled by its leading contraceptives and fertility businesses, Organon will invest in innovations that support the distinct health care needs of women today. Organon will also focus on its important biosimilars business, focusing on oncology and inflammatory diseases, while also maximizing the value of its trusted dermatology, pain, respiratory and cardiovascular portfolio in countries around the world where there is still great need for these treatments.

“Recognizing that Organon has a strong reputation among healthcare providers, the name offers the company a solid foundation to pursue global leadership and sustainable growth in women’s health,” said Kevin Ali, who has been named CEO of Organon. “Organon will set a new direction for the future of women’s health bringing new hope and treatments worldwide while also focusing on its important biosimilars and legacy brands.”

Usage of the new company logo and brand is effective upon completion of the spinoff in the first half of 2021. For more information visit merck.unleashinggrowthpotential.com

About Merck

For more than 125 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. 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., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, 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 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 2019 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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