ROCKLAND, Mass., Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EMD Serono, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the U.S. and Canada, today announced the creation of a dedicated Fertility Technologies division that will advance the company's leadership in fertility innovation. The announcement took place at the 72nd American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress and Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"The knowledge we have gained from working in collaboration with the infertility community over many decades has provided us with a deep understanding of the needs of healthcare professionals as well as the medical and emotional struggles of couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment," said Subhrangshu Datta, Senior Business Director, Fertility Technologies. "The goal for our fertility technologies portfolio is to bring new, innovative solutions to in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories, ultimately aiming for better outcomes for patients facing infertility through automated devices designed to improve standardization and consistency."
The company's launch of a dedicated Fertility Technologies division in the United States builds on the global partnership that Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany formed with Genea Biomedx in May 2015. The partnership provided Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with the global marketing and commercialization rights to Genea's product portfolio.
The Fertility Technologies division launched with Gidget™, a hand-held witnessing system for the in IVF laboratory that allows the embryologist to focus on the science by helping to ensure that gametes and embryos are matched correctly. Gidget™ provides electronic witnessing, visual lab workflow management and support for traceability and audit reporting. The launch of additional products are planned for 2017.
At ASRM, EMD Serono is also sponsoring four presentations that are based on analyses of a real-world database containing data from 15 fertility clinics across the US. The two oral presentations will demonstrate changes in embryo transfer protocols over time and the effect of these changes on birth outcomes, while the two poster presentations will evaluate the use over time of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs and ovulation triggers in controlled ovarian stimulation cycles during IVF treatment.
"To ensure that we were researching the most relevant Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) treatment and gathering the information that would be most beneficial to the medical community, we partnered with some of the largest fertility centers in the United States and sought the expertise of scientific advisors," said Mary Mahony, PhD, Vice President, Fertility and Endocrinology, EMD Serono. "This real-world data analysis has provided key insights into clinical and laboratory trends and associated outcomes and we are pleased that medical organizations like ASRM and the broader healthcare industry find this information helpful as we seek to improve patient care and outcomes in fertility treatment."
Also being featured at ASRM is EMD Serono's Compassionate Corps program, the first patient assistance program to provide fertility medications for eligible US veterans who are infertile due to a service-related injury. Through the program, select IVF stimulation medications are provided by EMD Serono at no charge for up to two IVF cycles per year.
For more information onsite, please visit booth #607.
About EMD Serono, Inc.
EMD Serono is the biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the U.S. and Canada - a leading science and technology company - focused exclusively on specialty care. For more than 40 years, the business has integrated cutting-edge science, innovative products and industry-leading patient support and access programs. EMD Serono has deep expertise in neurology, fertility and endocrinology, as well as a robust pipeline of potential therapies in oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology as R&D focus areas. Today, the business has more than 1,100 employees around the country with commercial, clinical and research operations based in the company's home state of Massachusetts.
About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 12.8 billion in 66 countries.
Founded in 1668, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, holds the global rights to the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.
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SOURCE EMD Serono