ZEGERID OTC(TM) Hits Store Shelves; Offers Only Patented Dual-Ingredient Option for 24 Hour Frequent Heartburn Relief without a Prescription

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck & Co., Inc. announced that beginning today, ZEGERID OTC™ (omeprazole 20 mg/sodium bicarbonate 1100 mg capsules), a new over-the-counter (OTC) option for treating frequent heartburn without a prescription, will become available in drug stores, grocery stores, mass merchandisers and club stores nationwide. The only OTC proton pump inhibitor (PPI) product with two active ingredients, ZEGERID OTC delivers relief in a different way. ZEGERID OTC has a patented dual-ingredient formula that combines omeprazole, the leading prescription acid-reducing medicine, and sodium bicarbonate, which protects the omeprazole in this product from acid in the stomach and allows it to be absorbed.

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Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2009 for over-the-counter use, ZEGERID OTC capsules will be offered in their original 20 mg prescription strength formula. Proton pump inhibitors such as ZEGERID OTC are the strongest and most effective class of acid-reducing medication available for the 50 million Americans who suffer from frequent heartburn, defined as heartburn that occurs two or more days a week. ZEGERID OTC treats frequent heartburn by controlling and suppressing acid for a full 24 hours, all day and all night. As with all PPI products, ZEGERID OTC may take 1 to 4 days for full effect, although some people get complete relief of symptoms within 24 hours.

"To date, all other OTC PPIs have used an enteric coating to prevent the medicine from being broken down by acid in the stomach prior to absorption," explained Dr. Michael Rahmin, a prominent gastroenterologist at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey and one of Castle Connolly's 2009 Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area. "ZEGERID OTC capsules do not need an enteric coating, because the sodium bicarbonate offers built-in protection against stomach acid, so the omeprazole can be absorbed by the body and get to work treating frequent heartburn."

ZEGERID OTC is a 14-day course of treatment taken once per day to treat frequent heartburn as directed and, if needed, may be repeated every 4 months. For more information about ZEGERID OTC, visit www.ZegeridOTC.com.

"With its strong history as an effective prescription product, we are excited to bring ZEGERID OTC directly to consumers," said Bridgette P. Heller, President, Schering-Plough Consumer HealthCare. "Our Consumer HealthCare division is already home to a variety of industry leading OTC products, including CLARITIN, DR. SCHOLL'S, MiraLAX, AFRIN and LOTRIMIN. We are confident that ZEGERID OTC will quickly join this list of highly regarded household brands."

ZEGERID OTC is being marketed over-the-counter by Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc., the consumer healthcare subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Under an agreement with Santarus, a specialty biopharmaceutical company that developed and currently markets prescription ZEGERID®, Schering-Plough HealthCare Products is responsible for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of ZEGERID OTC products for frequent heartburn in the US and Canada.

Santarus will continue to manufacture, promote and sell its prescription ZEGERID (omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate) products in both 20 mg and 40 mg dosage strengths in the US. For additional information on prescription ZEGERID, please visit www.Zegerid.com.

About Schering-Plough Consumer HealthCare

Today's Merck is working to help the world be well. Schering-Plough Consumer HealthCare is a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Each day, millions count on one or more of our industry-leading brands that help prevent or treat various common conditions. These include household names

such as CLARITIN for allergies, COPPERTONE for sun care, DR. SCHOLL'S for foot care, and many more. 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 2009 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).

SOURCE Merck & Co., Inc.