On April 11, 2024, Merck & Co., Inc announced that it has received a shareholder proposal from The Bahnsen Family Trust requesting the Company Board to conduct an evaluation and issue a civil rights and non-discrimination report within the next year, at reasonable cost and excluding proprietary information and disclosure of anything that would constitute an admission of pending litigation, evaluating how the Company?s policies and practices impact employees and prospective employees based on their religion (including religious views) or political views, and the risks those impacts present to the Company?s business. In addition, the Company urged the shareholders to vote against the proposal at its annual general meeting of shareholders scheduled to be held on May 28, 2024.