Merck Presents New Data on the Safety and Durable Efficacy of Cladribine Tablets and Advantages of Early Treatment with Rebif® at the 2016 ECTRIMS Congress

Darmstadt, Germany (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Two oral presentations and nine posters include new analyses on
investigational Cladribine Tablets
- Real-world data assess the safety, tolerability and effectiveness
of Rebif®
- Symposium highlights unmet needs among patients with MS and
real-word issues
- Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation (GMSI) award recipients
will share in EUR1 million

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced
key symposia and more than 30 presentations of clinical data on
Cladribine Tablets, an investigational, oral, small molecule for the
treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and
Rebif® (interferon beta-1a), the company's high-dose, high-frequency
interferon beta for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), are
scheduled for the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for
Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) taking place
September 14-17, 2016, in London.

"Merck is committed to advancing patient care and offering
therapeutic options that help address unmet medical needs for people
with MS, with a focus on efficacy, dosing, durability and safety,"
said Luciano Rossetti, Global Head of Research & Development for
Merck's biopharma business. "We look forward to sharing additional
data on Rebif® and Cladribine Tablets with the scientific community
at this year's ECTRIMS Congress."

Oral presentations include a comparison of the CLARITY and the
CLARITY EXTENSION studies, which sought to examine the duration of
clinical outcome response to Cladribine Tablets, and results of the
SOLAR study, which examined the effects of adding high-dose
cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) to Rebif® therapy for patients with
RRMS. Poster presentations will report on clinical and magnetic
resonance imaging outcomes in patients treated with Cladribine
Tablets or Rebif® and patient-reported outcomes in patients being
treated with Rebif®. Several health economics outcomes research
presentations will highlight key issues facing people with MS,
including pregnancy outcomes.

In addition to data presentations, a Merck-sponsored satellite
symposium, "Reimagining the MS Treatment Journey," will take place
Wednesday, September 14, 18:45-19:45 BST in Hall A at the ExCel. The
panel session will feature distinguished experts in MS who will
debate whether unmet needs in MS care remain, consider what an ideal
MS therapy might look like, and review current and potential future
therapies.

On Thursday, September 15, Merck will hold its fourth annual Grant
for Multiple Sclerosis Innovations (GMSI) Awards symposium. Up to
EUR1 million will be awarded to one or more researchers to support