Merck Launches Two New Technologies for Improved Efficiency in Fertility Labs

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• QBOX IVF streamlines data transfer between lab instruments and Electronic Medical Record providers 
• Geri^® Assess 2.0 enables automatic detection of key events in embryo and blastocyst development, improving efficiencies in assessment 
• Merck demonstrates commitment to further advance and connect technologies to support healthcare professionals in fertility 

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announces the launch of QBOX IVF, and the new Geri^® Assess 2.0, in its continued drive to serve the needs of its customers and to become the preferred treatment partner for all IVF stakeholders and assisted reproductive treatment (ART) clinics.

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"Our priority is to understand our customers' specific needs and then make continuous improvements to our technologies based on new insights," says Rehan Verjee, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Merck's Biopharma Business. "We incorporated key user feedback to develop QBOX IVF and Geri^® Assess 2.0 and are proud to launch these two state-of-the-art products for ART."

Merck is committed to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) throughout every step in the fertility treatment. With lab processes getting increasingly complex, a clear need exists for increased efficiencies and automation of lab procedures while ensuring high quality and precision as well as reduction of the risk for human error. Setting a strong basis for connectivity in the ART clinic, Merck introduces QBOX IVF, a hub that enables two-way unidirectional automated information transfer between Merck's clinic devices Gidget^® and Geri^® Connect & Assess (including Geri^® Assess 2.0 and Eeva^®) and industry-leading Electronic Medical Record (EMR) providers, thus improving standardization and automation. QBOX IVF is an integrated information management hub, recently developed in collaboration with Planet Innovation, Australia. Offering a simple single integration for multiple systems and reducing manual entry for users, the software minimizes the potential for human error and allows ART events to be automatically synchronized, streamlining patient data transfer during treatments across systems. Major EMR providers partnering with Merck for the QBOX IVF 1.1 release include BabySentry, DMDC, eIVF and MediTEX. Merck already works to expand functionality and connectivity of the QBOX IVF hub. Integration of the first third party product, XiltriX, a network-based laboratory monitoring, data logging and alarm system by IKS International, is currently being evaluated.

In addition, Merck and Genea Biomedx, Australia, through their joint development hub ARTinnovations, developed a new module that extends the embryo assessment offering within the Geri^® Connect & Assess platform. While Geri^® Assess 1.0 provided user defined scoring systems to assess and grade embryos, Geri^® Assess 2.0 provides automated cell event tracking using latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and even allows for custom applied scoring algorithms for embryo assessment and grading. The new module helps clinics simplify embryo assessment, improve consistency across users and reduce the time spent in annotations by automatically detecting key events in embryo and blastocyst development. This new version of Geri^® Assess maintains the focus on the embryo from a functional perspective and brings higher levels of automation and customization.

References 

1. Smith Andrew DAC, et al. Live-Birth Rate Associated With Repeat In Vitro Fertilization Treatment Cycles. JAMA. 2015; 314 (24): 2654-2662
2. Ferraretti AP, et al. Assisted reproductive technology in Europe, 2009: results generated from European registers by ESHRE. Hum Reprod. 2013; 28 (9): 2318-2331
3. US Dept of Health and Human Service. 2012 Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility Clinic Success Rates Report. Atlanta (GA). 2014: 6. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/art/pdf/2012-report/art_2012_clinic_report-full.pdf Last access: May 2017
4. Scott et al. Blastocyst biopsy with comprehensive chromosome screening and fresh embryo transfer significantly increases in vitro fertilization implantation and delivery rates: a randomized controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2013; 100 (3): 697-703

About QBOX IVF 

QBOX IVF is an integrated information management hub that enables two-way unidirectional automated information transfer between partner EMR providers and some lab devices, such as Gidget^® and Geri^® Connect & Assess (including Geri^® Assess 2.0 and Eeva^®).

About Geri^® 

Geri^® is a benchtop incubator with individually controlled incubation chambers per patient to minimize disruptive events to the early-stage embryo. It also incorporates a camera to real time monitor the developing embryos. Integrating bright- and dark-field imaging, the Geri^®+ incubator allows for combination with the Eeva^® Test software. The Geri^® Connect software allows the monitoring of embryos in real time through remote access to patient and embryo data connected on the same network, while the Geri^® Assess software is a user-defined scoring software used to assess and grade embryos on their viability. As an additional modular feature, the portfolio includes a specially designed humidifier, which allows ART specialists to precisely monitor and manage the humidity level in the incubator.

Geri^® was developed by Genea Biomedx, a company that creates and manufactures practical, accessible and precise fertility technologies that help standardize and automate fertility treatment.

About Gidget^® 

Gidget^® is a hand-held witnessing system for the IVF laboratory that allows the embryologist to focus on the science by helping to ensure that gametes and embryos are matched correctly. Gidget^® provides electronic witnessing, visual lab workflow management and support for traceability and audit reporting.

About the Eeva^® Test 

The non-invasive Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva^®) Test, when used adjunctively with traditional morphology may improve IVF outcomes by providing IVF clinicians and patients with objective information on embryo viability. The Eeva^® Test utilizes proprietary software that automatically analyzes embryo development against scientifically and clinically validated parameters. Its key features include a multi-dimensional model for assessing and predicting the development of embryos based on five key parameters including egg age, cell stage durations of P2 and P3, post P3 analysis, and cell count. With the Eeva^® Test's quantitative data on each embryo's potential development, IVF clinicians can improve the treatment path for their patients undergoing IVF procedures.

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About Merck 

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Almost 53,000 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 2017, Merck generated sales of € 15.3 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 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.

Dr. Raphaela Farrenkopf +49-6151-72-2274

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