Merck Millipore Provides Disaster Relief to Typhoon Haiyan Victims

• Product donations help Water Missions International provide clean drinking water
• $10,000 grant supports local Red Cross relief efforts

December 17, 2013, Darmstadt, Germany — Merck Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck, today announced it is providing product and monetary donations to assist those severely affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines as part of its corporate responsibility commitment to support natural disaster relief efforts. In partnership with Water Missions International, Merck Millipore is donating products from its EZ-Fit™ Manifold line to filter contaminated drinking water. The division is also providing a $10,000 grant to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in and around Cebu.

“The devastation in the Philippines is nothing short of heartbreaking,” said Robert Yates, President of Merck Millipore. “We hope by addressing even the most basic of needs, such as clean water, we can provide some comfort to this region. Our thoughts go out to all who were impacted by this natural disaster.”

The EZ-Fit™ Manifold line is used to detect and quantify microbial contamination in water and other beverages through membrane filtration. Merck Millipore donated manifold units to conduct the testing in addition to several boxes of Microfil^® filters which are used directly to process the water samples for contaminants and bacteria like e-coli. These products ensure that water is clean and safe for consumption. Water Missions International has used these products to satisfy the immediate need for drinking water, and will continue to test water for the next several months in hospitals and other community areas to monitor for potential outbreaks of disease.

“We’re working around the clock to provide critical resources to those who need them most,” said Pat Haughney, Disaster Response Manager for Water Missions International. “In times like these, we appreciate the quick response from companies like Merck Millipore, which play an important role in providing desperately needed equipment to the hardest hit areas of the Philippines.”

In addition to the $10,000 grant, Merck Millipore is matching all donations made by its employees. Last month, the company also donated $5,000 to the American Red Cross to support earlier destruction in the Philippines caused by an earthquake.

About Merck Millipore
Merck Millipore is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany and offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration on new scientific and engineering insights, and as one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science Tools industry, Merck Millipore serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of life science.

Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 66 countries and 2012 revenues of € 2.6 billion. Merck Millipore operates as EMD Millipore in the U.S. and Canada.

Note: Merck KGaA or Merck shall mean Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany  
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a global pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company with total revenues of € 11.2 billion in 2012, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by approx. 39,000 employees in 66 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck KGaA's operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.

Worldwide there are two separate companies that bear the name “Merck”, the original Merck KGaA from Darmstadt, Germany, the oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company in the world, and the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. in the United States. The rights to the name and trademark MERCK in North America (USA and Canada) lie with Merck & Co., the former U.S. subsidiary of Merck, whereas Merck KGaA operates in North America under the umbrella brand EMD. In the rest of the world, Merck KGaA owns the rights to the Merck name and trademark.

Water Missions International
Water Missions International is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization providing sustainable safe water and sanitation solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Using state-of-the-art technology and engineering expertise, the organization has provided access to safe water for more than 2.4 million people in 49 countries on five continents since 2001. Water Missions International implements customized solutions through a comprehensive community development model in its ten permanent country programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Missions International their top rating seven years in a row, a distinction shared by only two percent of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more about Water Missions International, visit www.watermissions.org.