KENNETH FRAZIER

America's leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal. As CEO of Merck, and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism

I think every company has its own unique approach to creating shareholder value.

In my house, education was the paramount value. And if you grew up in a neighborhood like mine, you were forced to decide early on what you stood for in life, because there were a lot of peer pressures that could take you the wrong way.

I've always admired lawyers who use their power to effect social change, and Thurgood Marshall was always a childhood hero of mine.

The business of biomedical research is mostly about failure. Few projects we commission will ultimately result in success. But every study we do contributes to the body of knowledge that brings science and society closer to a solution.

I think if you look at Merck's history, I think Merck has a reputation for having been a reasonable company when it comes to pricing, sort of a leader in that respect.

There's no way we can invent enough stuff for a company of Merck's size.

I'm a big believer in institutions.

I'm the last senior executive who was hired by Roy Vagelos. It's an honor, but it also imposes upon me an obligation not only to think about his legacy but also about this company's legacy.

One of the strongest forms of rhetoric in our society is the rhetoric of blame.

I think words have consequences, and I think actions have consequences.

My father was born in the year 1900 in South Carolina, and he grew up at a time where being an African-American child in the American South was to be deprived of access to anything close to a reasonable education. He only had three years of formal education, but he was self-taught. He read two newspapers a day.

We value R&D as a company. It's who we are.

America's leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal.

My legacy is that Merck continues to do what Merck has always done, which is to make singular impact on human health and animal health around the world. It's that simple.

We're an American company; we're proud of being an American company.

Most of my diversity conversations are had with the majority population, because frankly, those people are the people who have the most influence over everybody's career.

You either innovate or you become defunct.

I support tax revenue increases, including the top 2 percent, but only if accompanied by responsible spending limits. The key is balance.

I fell in love with the science at Merck.

The way we have looked at pricing at Merck is we've always said we want to be responsible, which means we want to optimize profitability and patient access.

I do worry that as we try to fix this long-term debt and deficit situation that we don't destroy the market incentives for biomedical research. What I fear is the government using its considerable clout to say, 'Here's the price we're setting for your medicines.'

My grandfather on my paternal side, Richard Frazier, was born in the late 1850s and, therefore, was born into slavery but was a sharecropper in South Carolina for his entire life.

Biopharmaceutical research and development efforts have achieved dramatic improvements in global health and longevity, and we are committed to continuing our quest.

Institutions are what allow us to have continuity in civilizations.