Merck actively engages with stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS outreach and public policy through a number of mechanisms.

In the United States, Merck has established ethnically diverse HIV Community Advisory Boards that include HIV community leaders from across the nation. Merck meets with the Boards regularly to discuss new data, clinical trial design and marketing and access strategies. Merck also meets regularly with the European Community Advisory Board of the European AIDS Treatment Group to discuss similar issues. In addition, Merck engages with stakeholders in public policy discussions through numerous forums and initiatives such as:

• The Private Sector Delegation of the Global Fund since 2002, Merck has been instrumental in helping to expand the Global Fund's engagement with the private sector through co-investment, involvement in country coordinating mechanisms, policy development, resource mobilization and advocacy
• Engaging stakeholders at various scientific and policy events throughout the year

Merck believes that the most relevant measure of the success of our antiretroviral (ARV) access strategy is the number of patients treated and where they are treated (developing versus developed countries). Since 2007, Merck has tracked patients treated by pricing category, region and registration status. Merck plans to continue tracking and reporting trend data by pricing category, region and registration status.

U.S. Coalition of AIDS Organizations Recognize Merck

In September 2009, Merck's efforts in HIV pharmaceutical R&D, marketing, pricing and community relations earned the company a high rating by the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC), a national coalition of AIDS activists.

The ATAC report card gave Merck a "B," the highest average grade given to any of the nine companies evaluated.

In 2010 ATAC provided a "progress report" on our activities since the 2009 initial report card in which the organization commended Merck for launching, and then expanding, the most generous co-payment assistance program in the industry; expanding Patient Assistance Program (PAP) eligibility criteria; continuing to invest in HIV treatment research, including novel programs devoted to curing HIV; announcing aid to U.S. Medicare Part D recipients; continuing to seek community input on the design of studies to test new therapies; negotiating a price agreement with the ADAP Crisis Task Force to minimize the harm to ADAP from steeply reduced state funds; and participating in the Welvista program to reduce the burden on people with HIV who have been put on ADAP waiting lists.