GENEVA, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced the launch of Real MS: Your Innovation, a global design competition searching for unique and innovative ideas that could help people overcome the daily challenges of life with multiple sclerosis (MS). Your Innovation is the second phase of the Real MS campaign, a global initiative giving a voice to those whose lives have been touched by MS, and celebrating their journeys, achievements and ideas for the future management of the disease.

Real MS launched in May 2010 with Real MS: Your Story, a global script writing competition that collected more than 100 powerful and inspiring stories of those living with or impacted by MS from around the world. The winning concept was developed into an international short film, MS: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint, that shows how life with MS can be redefined in a positive and fulfilling way.

Your Innovation will search for new and creative ideas for adaptive physical products or online applications that could help people live better with MS. The winning innovation, selected by an international judging panel and voted on by the MS community, will be shared with the MS community later in 2011.

"Since 2010, Merck Serono has made a commitment through Real MS to provide a venue for the multiple sclerosis community to share their collective achievements, ideas and vision," said Dr. Roberto Gradnik, Executive Vice President for Neurodegenerative Diseases at Merck Serono. "The Your Innovation competition is the next step in this journey, through which we are celebrating the multiple sclerosis community's ability to adapt to the disease's unique challenges in a positive way."

The unpredictability of MS means that people have to reinvent their lives every day to overcome the daily struggles and reminders of their condition. For many people with MS, this often means adapting existing products or services in creative ways to help them live better with their disease. The Your Innovation competition celebrates this ongoing innovation and provides a venue for a collaborative dialogue about new ways to respond to the challenges of life with MS.

For more information on the Real MS campaign and Your Innovation, including terms and conditions of the competition, please visit the campaign website at www.realmsvoices.com. This site is not intended for use by residents of United Kingdom and Ireland.