Merck Animal Health Partners with the American Veterinary Consultants Foundation to Award Scholarships to Future Bovine Veterinarians

RAHWAY, N.J., Aug. 9, 2024 – Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside of the United States and Canada, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), today announced it has awarded $20,000 in scholarships to two future bovine veterinarians in partnership with the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) Foundation, the charitable arm of AVC. AVC provides continuing education to veterinarians involved in the beef cattle industry.

          The scholarships recently were awarded at AVC’s summer conference in Denver. The 2024 scholarship recipients, each receiving $10,000, include:

• Dylan Bostick, a fourth-year veterinary student at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine
• Cody Minyard, a fourth-year veterinary student at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine

          “Merck Animal Health is proud to honor these veterinary students who have chosen to seek careers in veterinary medicine,” said Justin Welsh, D.V.M., executive director of livestock technical services at Merck Animal Health. “Now more than ever the industry needs these bright minds, who will bring their dedication and learnings to animal care. These exemplary students embody our commitment to cattle care as well as to our mission to advance the Science of Healthier Animals^®.”

          “We are grateful to Merck Animal Health for their partnership as we support these veterinary students who will soon be leading the veterinary profession and providing critical support to the cattle industry in North America,” said Bob Larson, D.V.M., executive director, AVC. “These exceptional scholarship recipients have the skills and abilities to ensure a promising future for the beef industry.”

          The AVC Foundation engages in a broad range of charitable, scientific and educational activities to support and promote veterinary medicine. It supports improvements and innovations in beef cattle health, well-being, productivity and sustainability through scholarship programs that benefit the future of beef cattle veterinarians, producers and the public. To learn more about the AVC Foundation, visit http://www.avc-beef.org/default.asp.

The 2024 Merck Animal Health and AVC scholarship recipients are Dylan Bostick (left) and Cody Minyard (right).

About Merck Animal Health

          At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals^®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

          This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 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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