Merck Welcomes ZEISS and Hamilton Thorne as New Members of the Global Fertility Alliance - Seite 2

Seeing the importance of recognizing innovation in ART technologies, the Global Fertility Alliance was founded by Merck together with two strategic partners: Illumina, a leader in developing and commercializing systems for analysis of genetic variation and function, and Genea, a developer of innovative fertility technologies. The collaboration is part of Merck's Fertility Technologies strategy to partner with experts in the field to address unmet needs together and support the market with innovations, with a clear focus on extending its product portfolio for the benefit of the fertility community.

"ZEISS has a strong heritage in the development of specialized microscopes and we are committed to using our expertise in this field to drive the standardization of ART processes and techniques further," commented Peter Kraemer, Director Market Segment Education & Routine at ZEISS Microscopy Business Group. "We are impressed by the alliance's progress so far and look forward to contributing to improvements in ART practices through technology innovation."

"As a pioneer in the field of developing instruments for the in vitro fertilization clinic, advancing the science of fertility treatment is in the DNA of our company," said David Wolf, CEO of Hamilton Thorne. "With excellence in ART as its tenet, the goal of the Global Fertility Alliance is to drive automation and standardization in fertility laboratories worldwide to promote better outcomes for patients."

The collaboration partners are aiming to welcome further members which share the common objectives and complement the expertise of the existing partner companies.

About the Global Fertility Alliance 

Recognizing the importance of innovation in ART technologies, the alliance aims to enhance progress and innovation in three ways. Firstly, the founding members aim to foster integration of multiple, leading fertility technologies. Secondly, building on this, the alliance will aim to collaborate with leading health care professionals and medical societies to develop global standards. And finally, as technologies in the fertility space are rapidly advancing, the alliance will also develop educational resources for health care professionals worldwide. These efforts will include training curricula and workshops as well as access to model labs, symposia and events at medical meetings. The Global Fertility Alliance was launched at the 31st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in June 2015. First members besides Merck were Illumina, a leader in developing and commercializing systems for analysis of genetic variation and function, and Genea, a developer of innovative fertility technologies.