Merck Launches Biosimilars Clarified, a New Online Educational Resource about Biosimilar Medicines for Patients and the Healthcare Community

KENILWORTH, N.J. October 14, 2016 –(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the launch of Biosimilars Clarified (www.merckclarifiesbiosimilars.com), a new educational website for patients, caregivers and the healthcare community that is designed to provide clear, concise and straightforward information about biosimilar medicines.

Biosimilars are a type of biological product that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because they are highly similar to an already FDA-approved biological product, known as the originator biologic or reference product, and have been shown to have no clinically meaningful differences in terms of the safety, purity and potency of the product.

“Biosimilars can offer alternative treatment options, and have the potential to help reduce healthcare spending and increase access to important biologic medicines,” said Dora Bibila, general manager, Merck Biosimilars. “At Merck, we want to provide educational resources for patients and caregivers to help them get the information they want and need. We believe the more patients know, the more they can be in charge of their health – Biosimilars Clarified is designed to help answer their questions about biosimilars.”

Biosimilars Clarified offers a host of informative features in a simple, easy-to-use question-and-answer format. The website was developed to provide patients, their caregivers, healthcare professionals and others clarification on such topics as:

What are biologic medicines?
Biosimilars – are they safe and effective?
The value of biosimilars and increasing access to treatment.
The availability of support programs for patients taking biosimilars.
“Merck is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world today, and we have a long-standing commitment to supporting patients and the healthcare community. We are continuing that commitment with Merck Biosimilars,” Bibila said.

About Merck
For 125 years, Merck has been 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 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, 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 2015 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