EMD Serono Launches New Sustainable Slim Pack for Fertility Medication

ROCKLAND, Mass., Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EMD Serono, the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the U.S. and Canada, announced the launch of its new Slim Pack fertility medication packaging, reduced in size for convenience and environmental impact.

The new packaging is now 40%^‡ smaller for EMD Serono's GONAL-f^® RFF* Redi-ject^® (follitropin alfa injection) pen. By taking up less refrigerated space at home for patients as well as in the clinic for customers, the company hopes Slim Pack will improve portability, efficiency and convenience. Importantly, the fertility medication remains unchanged within a redesigned, smaller package.

"As leaders in healthcare, we are focused on improving the experiences of our patients and customers, while recognizing our responsibility to preserve the planet for future generations," said Chris Round, President of EMD Serono. "Our new Slim Pack is an initiative we hope will drive convenience while reducing our overall carbon footprint."

Slim Pack will lower GONAL-f^® RFF* Redi-ject^®'s global carbon footprint by 33%^‡. This will play a contributing role in lowering Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's annual worldwide CO2 emissions, an important strategic sustainability goal of EMD Serono's parent company. 

It's expected that the pack size reduction will positively impact the supply chain process, as less cold storage space allows more product to be transported in fewer shipments. Additionally, the new packaging is made of 100% recyclable cardboard, swapping out the previous plastic tray to eliminate approximately 180 metric tons^‡ of plastic waste each year.   

Patients and HCPs can learn more about the new packaging by visiting www.emdseronofertility.com.

Consumer Important Risk Information for Gonal-f® RFF* Redi-ject® (follitropin alfa injection)
Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® (follitropin alfa injection) is a prescription medicine containing follicle–stimulating hormone (FSH) used in infertile women to:

• help ovulation and pregnancy in women who are infertile due to a cause other than primary ovarian failure
• cause your ovaries to make multiple (more than 1) eggs as part of an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) program

Do not use Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® if you:

• are allergic to recombinant human FSH or any of the ingredients listed on the product carton or package insert
• have levels of FSH indicating primary gonadal failure
• are pregnant or think you may be pregnant due to the potential hazard to a fetus
• have uncontrolled thyroid, adrenal or pituitary problems
• have a tumor in your female organs, including your ovaries, breast, or uterus
• have a tumor in your brain, such as a tumor in your pituitary or hypothalamus
• have abnormal bleeding from your uterus or vagina
• have ovarian cysts or large ovaries with unknown cause, not due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Before using Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject®, tell your healthcare provider about your medical history including any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements used, whether you have or have had asthma, abdominal surgery, ovarian cysts, polycystic ovarian disease, blood clots (thrombosis) or family history of blood clots, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® may cause serious side effects, including:

• Severe or fatal allergic reactions. Stop using Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® and go to the hospital right away if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction which can include shortness of breath, swelling of your face, itchy, red bumps or rash on your skin (hives).
• Stomach bloating or pain caused by enlargement of your ovaries, or fluid build-up in your stomach, chest and heart caused by ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can require hospitalization and in rare cases has caused death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms of OHSS, including trouble breathing, severe lower stomach (pelvic) area pain, decreased urine output, nausea, vomiting, weight gain, and diarrhea.
• Gonal-f® RFF* can also cause or worsen lung problems (including severe shortness of breath and asthma), blood and blood vessel problems (including clots and stroke) which in rare cases have caused death.
• Twisting of your ovary, which requires medical attention.
• Chances of having a baby with birth defects may increase in a baby born after an ART cycle and can be impacted by maternal age, paternal sperm problems, and genetic background associated with the egg and sperm.
• Use of Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® can result in pregnancy with more than 1 baby and the birth of multiple babies.
• Ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside your womb).
• An increased risk of miscarriage.
• If you have used fertility medicines like Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® before to get pregnant, you may have an increased chance of having tumors in your ovary(ies) (including cancer).
• Ultrasound and lab tests should be used to monitor treatment.

The most common side effects of Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® include:

• In Ovulation Induction headache, abdominal pain, and ovarian hyperstimulation
• In ART - abdominal pain, nausea, abdominal enlargement, headache and injection site bruising

These are not all the possible side effects of Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject®. For more information, read the product labeling, and ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1–800–FDA–1088.

Use Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® as directed and do not change your dose unless directed. Do not share your Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® and needles with another person; you may give another person an infection or get an infection from them.

Carefully review the Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® Instructions for Use that comes with the Pen for information about the correct use of Gonal–f® RFF* Redi–ject® and follow all training and instruction provided by your healthcare provider.

*RFF, Revised Formulation Female

Full prescribing information for GONAL-f® RFF* Redi-ject® can be found at:
https://www.emdserono.com/us-en/pi/gonal-f-rff-redi-ject-pi.pdf 

About EMD Serono, Inc.
EMD Serono - the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the U.S. and Canada - aspires to create, improve and prolong life for people living with difficult-to-treat conditions like infertility, multiple sclerosis and cancer. The business is imagining the future of healthcare by working to translate the discovery of molecules into potentially meaningful outcomes for people with serious unmet medical needs. EMD Serono's global roots go back more than 350 years with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Today, the business has approximately 1,500 employees around the country with commercial, clinical and research operations in Massachusetts. www.emdserono.com.

‡Data on file. Audited by KPMG on Nov 2021; CO2 and plastic savings reflect annual estimates at the time of full global Slim Pack implementation. Calculations are based on comparison of most recent calendar year of global pen shipments vs. the equivalent if shipping the new Slim Pack, considering the reduction of the packaging box from 96 x 45 x 215.5 mm to 77.5 x 42 x 157 mm. This results in a 40% volume reduction, that will allow fitting an increased number of units per pallet with the new packaging solution. Carbon footprint defined as the CO2 emissions due to transportation of pen products between Merck manufacturing sites and primary destination / port of entry in each country. Plastic savings calculated using the unit weight of individual plastic tray and multiplied by the total production volume in one calendar year, once Slim Pack fully implemented across all fertility pens worldwide.

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Melissa Beglin (781) 681-2609

SOURCE EMD Serono