DARMSTADT, Germany, June 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials, today announced that the two innovative fertility technologies Gavi and Geri have cleared a major milestone, achieving CE Mark certification. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, recently signed a global collaboration agreement with Genea Biomedx, the manufacturer of both products. With this partnership, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, received global marketing and commercialization rights to Genea Biomedx's product portfolio. All products will be provided through Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's Fertility Technologies unit.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150608/748423-a )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150608/748423-b )
The achievement of regulatory clearance allows Gavi and Geri to be made available for sale in the European Union.
Conceived through the fertility knowhow of Genea Biomedx's parent company Genea, the instruments are designed to provide solutions to some of the challenges involved in successful fertility treatment:
Gavi is the world's first automated vitrification instrument which uses an automated, standardized protocol aiming to ensure consistent results in blastocyst vitrification. Geri is a benchtop incubator that includes a camera system that allows scientists to view the embryo without repeatedly removing it from its optimal environment.
Gavi and Geri will be on display and available to order at ESHRE in Portugal 14-17 June 2015.
Genea Biomedx
Genea Biomedx creates and manufactures practical, accessible and precise fertility technologies that help standardise and automate fertility treatment. Its unique relationship with Genea Fertility means that Genea Biomedx is a manufacturer that truly understands the customers' perspective. As a result Genea Biomedx has developed the world's first automated vitrification instrument, and has other projects well advanced in the product pipeline.
Gavi and Geri
- Gavi - the world's first automated vitrification instrument; Vitrification is a process used in IVF to preserve human egg cells (oocytes) or embryos by cooling them to deep sub-zero degrees. Approaching the process in an innovative way, Gavi uses an automated, standardized protocol aiming to provide consistent results in blastocyst vitrification.
- Geri - a benchtop incubator with individually controlled incubation chambers per patient to minimize disruptive events to the early-stage embryo. It also incorporates a camera system to capture images of embryos as they develop.
About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and its biopharmaceutical business
Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has six businesses - Biopharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Biosimilars, Life Science and Performance Materials - and generated sales of € 11.3 billion in 2014. Around 39,000 employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to foster the success of customers and to help meet global challenges. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, 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 KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are Canada and the United States, where the company operates as EMD Serono, EMD Millipore and EMD Performance Materials.
With headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, offers leading brands in 150 countries to help patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, infertility, endocrine and metabolic disorders as well as cardiovascular diseases.
The biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, 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.
SOURCE Merck KGaA