With an Extended Fertility Technologies Portfolio Merck Now Covers All IVF Steps

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DARMSTADT, Germany, Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

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- Merck has launched its innovative witnessing tool Gidget(TM) and its new

benchtop incubator Geri(TM)+ to support fertility laboratories during all steps

of IVF (in-vitro-fertilization)     

- Both technologies were developed by Merck in collaboration with Genea

Biomedx     

- Products underline Merck's healthcare strategy to deliver innovation and

improve treatment outcomes for patients

    Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the launch

of the two new innovative fertility technologies Gidget(TM) and Geri(TM)+ to

extend its innovative portfolio to support all steps performed by fertility

laboratories during assisted reproductive treatment (ART), where technologies

play a vital role for treatment success. Gidget(TM) is designed as an

easy-to-use witnessing and tracking system to reduce the potential for error

and improve lab workflows, and Geri(TM)+ is the basis to combine the Geri(TM)

embryo incubator and the innovative Eeva(R) algorithm. Both new products

underline Merck's healthcare strategy to provide innovation to patients /

customers through best-in-class products.

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    "As the worldwide leader in fertility treatments, Merck continues to focus

on innovation, in order to enable clinics to make individualized treatment

decisions with and for their patients," said Rehan Verjee, Chief Marketing and

Strategy Officer at the biopharma business of Merck. "Both Gidget(TM) and

Geri(TM)+ increase embryologists' options to provide the best possible

treatment solutions for women and couples wanting to have a baby, such as

offering greater safety and assurance for IVF patients and enabling a

personalized workflow management and patient tracking."

    Gidget(TM) and Geri(TM)+ stem from the ARTinnovations development hub,

which Merck formed in collaboration with Genea Biomedx Propriety Ltd., Sydney,

Australia. ARTinnovations is an incubator for ideas and innovations for

fertility treatment and technologies. It combines the commitment and know-how

of both partners to develop ideas that can take root and grow into better

outcomes for patients.

    Integrating bright- and dark-field imaging, the Geri(TM)+ incubator now

allows for combination with the Eeva(R) software and any Geri Assess version.

Geri+ becomes a multifunctional incubator, which gives embryologists a

multitude of possibilities around embryo analytics. It brings together the

benefits of undisturbed incubation, while complying with the high control and

safety standards of the GeriTM incubator and the analytics of the Eeva(R)

software, the first automated algorithm clinically shown to improve embryo

assessment.[1],[2],[3]

    Gidget(TM) is a hand-held device for the IVF laboratory that lets the

embryologist focus on the science by eliminating any chance of mismatching, and

includes unique tracking and workflow features. It provides electronic

witnessing, lab workflow management and support for traceability and audit

reporting.

    Both products will be available immediately in Europe and Canada, with

Gidget(TM) also launching in the US, Japan and additional regions set to follow

soon.

    References

            1. VerMilyea MD, et al. Repromed Biomed Online. 2014; 29(6):729-736

            2. Diamond MP, et al.J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015 Jan;32(1):61-8

            3. Adamson GD, et al. Fertil Steril 2016; 105(2):369-375

    About Gidget(TM) and Geri(TM)+

    Gidget(TM) is designed as easy-to-use hand-held device to aid sample

identification and tracking during ART procedures. Gidget(TM) is used to scan

dishes, tubes and other consumables used to maintain and process patient

material to eliminate mismatching from occurring. However, Gidget(TM) provides

further functionalities and benefits for the lab than a pure witnessing system,

enabling a personalized intelligent ART assistance for clinical workflow

management and patient tracking.

    Geri(TM)+ is an innovative multifunctional incubator with individually

controlled incubation chambers per patient and a camera to real time monitor

the developing embryos, now combinable with the analytics of the Eeva(R)

software. To give each embryo the best chance of development, Geri(TM)+ is

designed to provide undisturbed incubation environment with the highest control

and safety standards.

    About the ARTinnovations hub

    The development hub ARTinnovations is an incubator for ideas and

innovations for fertility treatment and technologies. A collaboration between

Genea Biomedx and Merck, ARTinnovations provides the support and know-how to

develop ideas so that they take root and grow into better outcomes for

patients. Building on its strong heritage in fertility treatment, Merck aims to

jointly develop an innovative pipeline of fertility technologies and services

through the ARTinnovations hub, to help support patients undergoing ART and

provide healthcare professionals with objective information to make important

treatment decisions.

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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 EUR 12.85 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.

    Contact: Gangolf Schrimpf, +49-6151-729591

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SOURCE: Merck