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Dr. Julie Gerberding (of CDC) Named President of Merck Vaccines
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. - (Business Wire) Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:
MRK) today announced that Dr. Julie Gerberding has been named
president of Merck Vaccines, effective January 25, 2010.
Dr. Gerberding led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) as director from 2002 to 2009. During her tenure at CDC, Dr.
Gerberding led the agency during more than 40 emergency response
initiatives for health crises including anthrax bioterrorism, food-
borne disease outbreaks, and natural disasters, and advised
governments around the world on urgent public health issues such as
SARS, AIDS, and obesity.
“Vaccines are a cornerstone of Merck's commitment to health and
wellness," said Richard T. Clark, chairman and chief executive
officer, Merck & Co., Inc. "We are delighted to welcome an expert of
Dr. Gerberding's caliber to Merck. As a preeminent authority in public
health, infectious diseases and vaccines, Dr. Gerberding is the ideal
choice to lead Merck's engagement with organizations around the world
that share our commitment to the use of vaccines to prevent disease
and save lives."
"I’ve had the privilege in my previous work in academia and in the
federal government to be a passionate advocate for public health
priorities such as vaccines, which are an imperative component of
global health development," said Dr. Gerberding. "I am very excited to
be joining Merck where I can help to expand access to vaccines around
the world."
Dr. Gerberding will lead the company's $5 billion global vaccine
business. Merck currently markets a broad range of pediatric,
adolescent and adult vaccines and is a leading provider of vaccines in
countries around the world; in the U.S., Merck markets vaccines for 12
of the 17 diseases for which the U.S. Advisory Committee for
Immunization Practices currently recommends vaccines. She will be
responsible for the commercialization of the current portfolio of
vaccines, planning for the introduction of vaccines from the company's
robust vaccine pipeline, and accelerating Merck's on-going efforts to
broaden access to its vaccines in the developing world. Dr. Gerberding
will also collaborate with leaders of Merck Manufacturing Division and
Merck Research Laboratories to manage the critical linkages between
basic research, late-stage development and manufacturing to expand
Merck's vaccine offerings throughout the world.
She received her undergraduate degree and her M.D. from Case Western
Reserve University. Her internship, residency, and clinical
pharmacology training were all at the University of California, San
Francisco (UCSF), where she worked in a range of clinical, research
and teaching roles prior to joining the CDC in 1998. Dr. Gerberding
received her Masters of Public Health at the University of California,
Berkeley.
She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a fellow of the
Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American College of
Physicians, and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious
Diseases. She is also a Clinical Professor of Infectious Diseases at
Emory University and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine in
Infectious Diseases at UCSF.
Dr. Gerberding has received more than 50 awards and honors, including
the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Distinguished Service Award for her leadership in responses to anthrax
bioterrorism and the September 11, 2001 attacks. She was named to
Forbes Magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women in the world in 2005, 2006,
2007, and 2008 and was named to TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential
People in the World in 2004.
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
September 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.
Merck & Co., Inc
Media:
Amy Rose, 908-423-6537
Investor:
Alex Kelly, 908-423-5185
Sent by Eileen Dannemann