Merck Serono Awards EUR 1 Million to the Winners of the First Grant for Oncology Innovation

PR58053

DARMSTADT, Germany, Sep. 27, 2014 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ -

    - Global winners selected for their unique research projects that have the

potential to advance research for the personalized treatment of solid tumors -

Winners chosen by a Scientific Steering Committee comprising internationally

renowned oncologists and researchers.

    Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck, today announced the

winners of the first Grant for Oncology Innovation (GOI), who will receive

grants totaling EUR1 million. The 2014 winners were formally announced at an

awards ceremony coinciding with the annual meeting of the European Society for

Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2014 in Madrid, Spain.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140927/708704 )

    Launched in September 2013 at the European Cancer Congress

(ECCO-ESMO-ESTRO) 2013 in Amsterdam, the GOI aims to support researchers who

are leading innovative projects that have the potential to advance research for

the personalized treatment of solid tumors.

    Areas of interest for the GOI are:

    Access to personalized treatment/care for patients

Innovative research with clinical relevance and benefits for patients

Solid tumor malignancies

    The international Scientific Steering Committee of leading oncologists and

researchers selected the following winners:

    Dr Clara Montagut, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; for proposed

research on Ultra-selection and molecular monitoring of CRC patients treated

with anti-EGFR therapy using NGS platforms and serial liquid biopsies

    Dr Stefan Sleijfer, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands;

for proposed research on Non-invasive monitoring of breast cancer therapy using

cell-free tumor DNA in blood

    Dr Ulrich Guller, Cantonal Hospital, St. Gallen, Switzerland; for the

proposed project entitled: Prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled,

phase III randomized trial of adjuvant aspirin treatment in PIK3CA mutated

colon cancer patients

    "I would like to congratulate the winners and their teams for the quality

of their proposed research projects. In the last decade alone, innovative

research in oncology has made a number of ground-breaking discoveries leading

to a better understanding of individual tumor biology that has allowed for a

personalized approach to patient care," said Belen Garijo, President and CEO,

Merck Serono. "We hope that this first Grant for Oncology Innovation will help

enable further pioneering research into the personalized treatment of cancer

that may ultimately lead to improved clinical outcomes for patients."

    The Merck Serono Grant for Oncology Innovation builds on the success of the

Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI), the Grant for Multiple Sclerosis

Innovation (GMSI) and the Grant for Growth Innovation (GGI), which between them

have awarded grants totaling over EUR10 million to research projects since 2010.

    For more information on GOI and details of how to apply of the 2015 award,

please visit:

    http://www.grantforoncologyinnovation.org   

    About Merck Serono  

    Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Merck. With headquarters

in Darmstadt, Germany, Merck Serono offers leading brands in 150 countries to

help patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, infertility, endocrine and

metabolic disorders as well as cardiovascular diseases. In the United States

and Canada, EMD Serono operates as a separately incorporated subsidiary of

Merck Serono.

    Merck Serono discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription

medicines of both chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. We

have an enduring commitment to deliver novel therapies in our core focus areas

of neurology, oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology.

    For more information, please visit http://www.merckserono.com.

    All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they

become available on the Merck Website. Please go to

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or discontinue this service.

    Merck is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech

products in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors. With its four divisions

Merck Serono, Consumer Health, Performance Materials and Merck Millipore, Merck

generated total revenues of EUR11.1 billion in 2013. Around 39,000 Merck

employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to

further the success of our customers and to help meet global challenges.

    Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company - since

1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible

entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70% interest, the founding family

remains the majority owner of the company to this day.

    Merck, Darmstadt, Germany is holding the global rights to the Merck name

and brand. The only exceptions are Canada and the United States, where the

company is known as EMD.

    SOURCE: Merck Serono