Rita A Karachun Form 4 Merck & Co. / Rita A Karachun ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Karachun Rita A

(Last) (First) (Middle)

MERCK & CO., INC.

126 EAST LINCOLN AVENUE

(Street)

RAHWAY NJ 07065

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Merck & Co., Inc. [ MRK ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
Sr. VP Fince-Global Controller

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/03/2023

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	05/03/2023		M		803	A	$117.89	45,362.972	D
Common Stock	05/03/2023		F		276	D	$117.89	45,086.972	D
Common Stock	05/04/2023		M		949	A	$118.22	46,035.972	D
Common Stock	05/04/2023		F		326	D	$118.22	45,709.972	D
Common Stock	05/04/2023		M		15,875	A	$62.07	61,584.972	D
Common Stock	05/04/2023		S		15,875	D	$117.5334(1)	45,709.972	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Unit	(2)	05/03/2023		M			803	05/03/2023(3)	05/03/2025	Common Stock	803	$0	1,608	D
Restricted Stock Unit	(2)	05/04/2023		M			949	05/04/2022(4)	05/04/2024	Common Stock	949	$0	951	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$62.07	05/04/2023		M			15,875	05/05/2018(5)	05/04/2027	Common Stock	15,875	$0	0	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $117.5000 to $117.6200, inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Merck & Co., Inc., any security holder of Merck & Co., Inc., or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above in this footnote.

2. Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock.

3. These restricted stock units vest and are distributed as shares of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock in three equal installments on 5/3/2023, 5/3/2024 and 5/3/2025.

4. These restricted stock units vest and are distributed as shares of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock in three equal installments on 5/4/2022, 5/4/2023 and 5/4/2024.

5. The option became exercisable in equal installments on 5/5/2018, 5/5/2019 and 5/5/2020.

	/s/ Kelly E. W. Grez as Attorney-in-Fact for Rita Karachun	05/05/2023
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
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