GENEVA, Switzerland, October 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Rewards Innovative Concepts for the Targeted Development of New Medicines

- Merck Serono is Involved in Two of the Three BMBF-Sponsored Consortiums

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is among the proud winners of the BioPharma strategy competition. In this competition organized by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its Pharmaceuticals Initiative, a total of 100 million Euros in grants was offered for innovative concepts for the development of new medicines from research to production. The three winners, who will share this award, include two consortiums to which Merck Serono belongs.

The BMBF received a total of 37 submissions, which went into a two-stage assessment procedure. After a review of the concepts submitted in the first round, ten consortiums were short-listed for the second assessment round. Three consortiums in which Merck Serono is involved made it into the final round with their projects. Two of these have now been awarded, along with one other winner, as projects worthy of sponsorship.

"The fact that Merck Serono is involved in two winning consortiums is for us valued recognition of the first-class work we are doing in the research and development of innovative medicines," said Dr. Bernhard Kirschbaum, Head of Research at Merck Serono. "We are proud of the important contribution we can make with our skills as a partner in two promising projects that could lead to new treatment options for many patients."

The NEU2 consortium made a persuasive case with its concept for the development of new medicines aimed at treating multiple sclerosis (MS). This inflammatory disease of the central nervous system affects about 2.5 million people worldwide for whom the only medicines currently available are those which treat the early inflammatory phase, but which cannot reverse the damage caused by MS. One focus of the project therefore lies in the treatment of neurodegenerative processes for which no medicines exist as yet.

With the establishment of a Drug Discovery Center, the DDC consortium aims to take promising innovative results from biomedical basic research and apply them quite specifically to the development of therapeutic active substances that open up new treatment options, for example in cancer or neurodegenerative disorders. DDC thus aims to fill the "gap" between research and industry, which is likewise recognized by the BMBF with a sponsorship prize.

Biotechnology is becoming increasingly important for the development of medicines and diagnostic agents. While many research results come from Germany, effective products based on these results are usually made in other countries. The BMBF launched the Pharmaceuticals Initiative to promote the development of new and innovative treatment approaches in Germany. With the restructuring of its sponsorship policy, the Ministry of Research is seeking to strengthen innovation in the pharmaceutical centers of Germany. A key part of its new sponsorship drive is "BioPharma - The strategy competition for medicine of the future". Business consortiums were invited to come up with long-term, strategic concepts for an efficient design of the biopharmaceutical value chain.

About Merck Serono

Merck Serono is the division for innovative prescription pharmaceuticals of Merck, a global pharmaceutical and chemical group. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Merck Serono discovers, develops, manufactures and markets innovative small molecules and biopharmaceuticals to help patients with unmet medical needs. Its North American business operates in the United States and Canada as EMD Serono.

Merck Serono has leading brands serving patients with cancer (Erbitux(R)), multiple sclerosis (Rebif(R)), infertility (Gonal-f(R)), endocrine and cardiometabolic disorders (Glucophage(R), Concor(R), Euthyrox(R), Saizen(R), Serostim(R)), as well as psoriasis (Raptiva(R)).

With an annual R&D expenditure of around EUR 1bn, Merck Serono is committed to growing its business in specialist-focused therapeutic areas including neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, fertility and endocrinology, as well as new areas potentially arising out of research and development in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

About Merck

Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of EUR 7.1 billion in 2007, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by 31,946 employees in 60 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.

For more information, please visit http://www.merckserono.net or http://www.merck.de

Merck Serono, Media Relations, Tel.: +41-22-414-36-00, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland