MSD Animal Health Announces Winner of 2018 High Quality Poultry Science Award

Chengdu, China, August 9, 2018 – MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, today awarded Nischal K. Sharma, PhD, from the University of New England, Australia, the 2018 High Quality Poultry Science Award for his groundbreaking work in linking poultry diet with odor emissions in poultry production. The award was granted at the High Quality Poultry Congress for Asia Pacific & Southern Africa in Chengdu, China. 

“Dr. Sharma’s focus on identifying solutions for the issue of lessening odor emissions in poultry production is emblematic of the advanced thinking we want to recognize with the High Quality Poultry Science Award,” said Taylor Barbosa, DVM, Ph.D., ACPV, Executive Director, Global Poultry Marketing, MSD Animal Health. “The demand for poultry products is growing, and the industry’s ability to grow with that demand will in large part depend on controlling the impact on nearby communities and the environment.”

The High Quality Poultry Science Award, established in 2017, supports research in poultry health, production and welfare by tomorrow’s industry leaders. Through the award, MSD Animal Health gives three masters or doctoral students, who recently received degrees in veterinary or animal science with an emphasis on poultry, the unique opportunity to present their research to industry specialists at the High Quality Poultry meetings in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Two additional award winners (one per region) will be announced at meetings in Argentina (3Q2018) and Europe (4Q2018).

Eligible graduates must have completed master or doctoral (PhD) research for an applied project in either veterinary or animal science, with an emphasis on poultry, and defended their degree in the past 12 months. Topics of interest include infectious diseases, such as infectious bronchitis (IB), Newcastle disease (ND), infectious bursal disease (IBD), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT), reovirus (REO), Salmonella or Campylobacter, as well as Poultry Red Mite control, general welfare, hatchery health, antibiotic reduction and environmental impact.

One student per region will be selected and must be available to travel and present their research in their respective regions. The company will assume responsibility for travel expenses incurred.

About MSD Animal Health
For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of MSD. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. 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 2017 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).