Merck Welcomes ZEISS and Hamilton Thorne as New Members of the Global Fertility Alliance

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DARMSTADT, Germany, June 30, 2016 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Not intended for U.S. based media

     - New partners are joining founding members Merck, Illumina and Genea to

support standardization of processes in assisted reproductive treatment

laboratories

     - Update on the alliance's activities to be presented at ESHRE

    Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced together

with Illumina Inc., San Diego, US, and Genea Limited, Sydney, Australia, that

the Global Fertility Alliance welcomed two new members. The alliance is a

collaboration to advance excellence in fertility technologies and processes

within the assisted reproductive treatment (ART) laboratory. Effective

immediately, ZEISS, Oberkochen, Germany, an internationally leading technology

enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries, and Hamilton

Thorne Ltd., Beverly, Massachusetts, US, a leading provider of precision laser

devices and advanced image analysis systems for ART, regenerative medicine and

developmental biology research markets, are joining the alliance and its quest

to improve the consistency in ART laboratories worldwide. Following the

announcement of the alliance's formation at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), an update on the

alliance's activities will be presented at this year's ESHRE in Helsinki,

Finland (3-6 July, 2016).

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    "Through our work with the fertility community, we know that ART outcomes

strongly depend on routines and technologies applied in laboratories. As such,

we are committed to overcoming current variation in ART practices and

techniques," explained Rehan Verjee, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at

Merck's biopharma business. "We are working in the alliance to support the

development of global standards in ART laboratories. We understand this as a

critical factor for ensuring a consistently high level of performance across

centers and countries, ultimately supporting the goal of women and couples of

having a baby."

    Seeing the importance of recognizing innovation in ART technologies, the

Global Fertility Alliance was founded by Merck together with two strategic

partners: Illumina, a leader in developing and commercializing systems for

analysis of genetic variation and function, and Genea, a developer of

innovative fertility technologies. The collaboration is part of Merck's

Fertility Technologies strategy to partner with experts in the field to address

unmet needs together and support the market with innovations, with a clear

focus on extending its product portfolio for the benefit of the fertility

community.

    "ZEISS has a strong heritage in the development of specialized microscopes

and we are committed to using our expertise in this field to drive the

standardization of ART processes and techniques further," commented Peter

Kraemer, Director Market Segment Education & Routine at ZEISS Microscopy

Business Group. "We are impressed by the alliance's progress so far and look

forward to contributing to improvements in ART practices through technology

innovation."

    "As a pioneer in the field of developing instruments for the in vitro

fertilization clinic, advancing the science of fertility treatment is in the

DNA of our company," said David Wolf, CEO of Hamilton Thorne. "With excellence

in ART as its tenet, the goal of the Global Fertility Alliance is to drive

automation and standardization in fertility laboratories worldwide to promote

better outcomes for patients."

    The collaboration partners are aiming to welcome further members which

share the common objectives and complement the expertise of the existing

partner companies.

    About the Global Fertility Alliance

    Recognizing the importance of innovation in ART technologies, the alliance

aims to enhance progress and innovation in three ways. Firstly, the founding

members aim to foster integration of multiple, leading fertility technologies.

Secondly, building on this, the alliance will aim to collaborate with leading

health care professionals and medical societies to develop global standards.

And finally, as technologies in the fertility space are rapidly advancing, the

alliance will also develop educational resources for health care professionals

worldwide. These efforts will include training curricula and workshops as well

as access to model labs, symposia and events at medical meetings. The Global

Fertility Alliance was launched at the 31st Annual Meeting of the European

Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in June 2015. First

members besides Merck were Illumina, a leader in developing and commercializing

systems for analysis of genetic variation and function, and Genea, a developer

of innovative fertility technologies.

    About ZEISS

    ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the

optics and optoelectronics industries. The ZEISS Group develops and distributes

semiconductor manufacturing equipment, measuring technology, microscopes,

medical technology, eyeglass lenses, camera and cine lenses, binoculars and

planetarium technology. With its solutions, the company constantly advances the

world of optics and helps shape technological progress. ZEISS is divided up

into the four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Research &

Quality Technology, Medical Technology, and Vision Care/Consumer Optics. ZEISS

is represented in over 40 countries and operates more than 30 production sites,

over 50 sales and service locations and about 25 research and development

facilities. In fiscal year 2014/15 the company generated revenue approximating

EUR4.5 billion with around 25,000 employees. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the

company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Carl Zeiss AG is the strategic

management holding company that manages the ZEISS Group. The company is wholly

owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).

    About Hamilton Thorne Ltd.

    Hamilton Thorne designs, manufactures and distributes precision laser

devices and advanced imaging systems that reduce cost, increase productivity,

improve results and enable breakthroughs in the assisted reproduction,

regenerative medicine and developmental biology research markets. Hamilton

Thorne's laser products attach to standard inverted microscopes and operate as

robotic micro-surgeons, enabling a wide array of scientific applications and

IVF procedures. Its imaging systems improve outcomes in human IVF clinics and

animal breeding facilities and provide high-end toxicology analyses. Hamilton

Thorne's growing worldwide customer base consists of pharmaceutical companies,

biotechnology companies, fertility clinics, university research centers, animal

breeding companies, and other commercial and academic research establishments,

including Harvard, MIT, Yale, McGill, Oxford, Cambridge, the Smithsonian

Institution, Charles River Labs, Covance, ABS Global, Sexing Technologies,

Novartis, Pfizer, and Dow Chemical.

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    About Merck

    Merck 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 generated sales of EUR12.85 billion in 66 countries.

    Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical

company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed

corporate group. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany holds the global rights to the Merck

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: Merck