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Merck Animal Health Wins 2025 S&P Global Award in Best Product Companion Animal and Best Product Food Animal Categories for NUMELVI and INNOVAX® ND-ILT-IBD, Respectively

February 24, 2026

With these awards, Merck Animal Health becomes first company to win both the Best Product Companion Animal and Best Product Food Animal awards in the same year

RAHWAY, N.J., February 24, 2026 – 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 that S&P Global Animal Health awarded NUMELVI® Best Companion Animal Product and INNOVAX® ND-ILT-IBD Best Food Animal Product. This is the 8th consecutive year that Merck Animal Health earned an S&P Global Award and the first time a company has won the Best Product Companion Animal and Best Product Food Animal awards in the same year.


In most markets, including the European Union, NUMELVI is approved as a once-daily, first-line treatment, and is the only second-generation Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis including atopic dermatitis and treatment of clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis in dogs. With a once-daily treatment regimen, NUMELVI is clinically effective after the first dose. It inhibits the effect of JAK1-dependent cytokines involved in itch and inflammation in allergic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis and is at least 10-fold more selective for JAK1 than for JAK2, JAK3 and TYK2.*


INNOVAX ND-ILT-IBD is the only single-dose vaccine approved to provide combined protection against diseases caused by Newcastle disease virus, infectious bursal disease virus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, and Marek’s disease virus. The four diseases addressed by INNOVAX-ND-IBD-ILT are amongst the most economically devastating poultry diseases.


“NUMELVI and INNOVAX ND-ILT-IBD reflect our unwavering commitment to innovation across both companion animals and livestock,” said Rick DeLuca, president, Merck Animal Health. “These awards exemplify our mission to bring forward science-driven solutions that protect animals and support the people who care for them. I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to making these important innovations a reality. Their dedication and collaboration are at the heart of our progress in animal health.”


“Merck Animal Health continues to deliver innovative solutions to the market,” said Joseph Harvey, head of S&P Global Animal Health. “Year after year, the company is recognized across both companion animal and livestock segments, underscoring its sustained innovation and strong customer focus. This track record of award-winning products is a clear reflection of Merck Animal Health’s leadership and commitment to advancing animal health worldwide.”


This awards mark the eighth consecutive year of winning for Merck Animal Health. Previously, the company has won Best Food Animals category for the IDAL® portfolio technology, PORCILIS® Lawsonia intramuscular vaccine for piglets, NOBILIS® SALENVAC ETC, WHISPER® ON ARRIVAL, SENSEHUB® Feedlot and CIRCUMVENT® CML. In 2025, the company won Best Companion Animal Product for the injectable formulation of BRAVECTO®. Additionally, Merck Animal Health was named Best Animal Health Company, North America in 2021, and Best Visionary CEO for Rick DeLuca in 2020.


*NUMELVI is not currently approved in the United States.

About Merck Animal Health

Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is a global animal health business committed to The Science of Healthier Animals™. For more than 130 years, we have pioneered groundbreaking science. Today, we are driven by continuous innovation to develop breakthrough medicines, vaccines and technology. Rooted in direct experience on the farm and in the clinic, we work hand in hand with our customers every step of the way. Our singular focus is to empower those who care for animals, helping them manage their vital responsibility with confidence. Because when it comes to animal health, no one sees it like we do. 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. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).