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Dr. Alan Ezekowitz, Internationally-Recognized Physician and Researcher, Joins Merck Research Laboratories in Key Leadership Role

Posted on: Thursday, 16 March 2006, 09:01 CST

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that R. Alan B. Ezekowitz, MBChB, D.Phil., has been named senior vice president and franchise head, Immunology, Respiratory and Endocrine, Merck Research Laboratories (MRL). Dr. Ezekowitz assumes his new role on April 1 and will report to Peter S. Kim, Ph.D., president, MRL.

"Alan Ezekowitz is a truly outstanding physician scientist, and we are delighted to bring a leader of his stature to the MRL team," Dr. Kim said. "The depth and breadth of his expertise, a combination of clinical expertise and a unique background in basic and translational research, will greatly enhance the franchise-based strategy that we are putting in place within MRL."

Dr. Ezekowitz, 52, comes to MRL from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he has served as chief of Pediatric Services and has chaired the Executive Committee on Research. It was Dr. Ezekowitz's vision that led to the creation of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, a 'hospital within a hospital' providing world-class care for infants, children and adolescents. He has also been chief of Pediatric Services for the Partners HealthCare System in Boston and the Charles Wilder Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining the staff of Massachusetts General Hospital in 1995, Dr. Ezekowitz served on the staff of Children's Hospital in Boston for 11 years.

"Alan is an enormously dedicated and talented physician-scientist who has poured his enthusiasm and creativity into shaping the Pediatrics Service at Massachusetts General Hospital and strengthening the hospital's extensive research program," said Peter L. Slavin, M.D., president of the Massachusetts General Hospital. "While all of us at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners HealthCare will miss Alan greatly, we are reassured that his intelligence, wisdom and energy will continue to improve the lives of patients."

In this newly-created position, Dr. Ezekowitz will have overall responsibility for scientific direction across the drug discovery and development process for Merck's key therapeutic areas of immunology, respiratory disease and endocrine disorders. He will be based at Merck's research facility in Rahway.

"I join Peter Kim in expressing how delighted we are that a scientist of Dr. Ezekowitz's distinction is joining the MRL team in this key leadership role," said Richard T. Clark, chief executive officer and president, Merck. "I am confident that Dr. Ezekowitz will make outstanding contributions to our research and help us continue Merck's proud history of developing innovative new medicines that improve health and the quality of lives around the world."

Dr. Ezekowitz received his medical training at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, where he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Dr. Ezekowitz is a pioneer in the field of innate immunity and immunodeficiency. He and his research team have advanced the understanding of how the innate immune system recognizes infectious agents. In addition, he has translated these basic observations into treatments for diseases of infancy and childhood.

About Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Source: Business Wire

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