Merck and Regenstrief Institute Establish Evidence-Based Care Collaboration

WHITEHOUSE, N.J., and INDIANAPOLIS--()--The Regenstrief Institute and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, have signed a five-year agreement to collaborate on a range of projects that will use clinical data to inform personalized delivery of health care. The work will explore novel methods for studying diseases and interventions for chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Ultimately, the Regenstrief-Merck collaboration seeks to improve the health of patients through data analytics, health care innovation, education and research that supports evidence-based health care.

Financial details were not disclosed.

“Regenstrief has a passion for determining how personalization of medicine can be achieved by better understanding and using health data,” said Regenstrief investigator and innovations officer Jon Duke, M.D., who serves as the institute’s lead investigator for the partnership. “Regenstrief brings rigorous science to clinical environments and has more than 40 years of experience as an international leader in improving health care delivery through informatics and health services research. With Merck’s depth of expertise and its global reach, we hope to develop and test new approaches to care, and advance successful models of health care broadly.” Dr. Duke also is an assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Both Regenstrief, a medical research organization closely associated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, and Merck, a global health care leader, are committed to generating new knowledge to improve health.

"This type of novel academic-industry collaboration can advance our understanding of a number of critical therapeutic areas, enabling novel use of health information technology to enhance drug development, medication safety and the personalization of therapeutics," said Sachin H. Jain, M.D., chief medical information and innovation officer at Merck.

Regenstrief Institute

An internationally respected informatics and health care research organization, the Regenstrief Institute is recognized for its role in improving quality of care, increasing efficiency of health care delivery, preventing medical errors and enhancing patient safety. Established in 1969, the institute is closely associated with the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County.

About Merck

Today's Merck is a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health 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 policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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 all of 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 in the United States and internationally; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for innovative products; 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 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission available at the SEC’s Internet site, www.sec.gov.

Contacts

Media:
Merck
Caroline Lappetito, 267-305-7639
or
Regenstrief Inst
Cindy Fox Aisen, 317-843-2276
or
Investor Relations:
Merck
Alex Kelly, 908-423-5185

Contacts

Media:
Merck
Caroline Lappetito, 267-305-7639
or
Regenstrief Inst
Cindy Fox Aisen, 317-843-2276
or
Investor Relations:
Merck
Alex Kelly, 908-423-5185