Merck-Serono
| Merck Serono | |
|---|---|
| Type | Stock corporation |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Location | Geneva, Switzerland (Headquarters) |
| Key people | Elmar Schnee CEO |
| Industry | Biotechnology / Pharmaceutical |
| Key Products | Rebif®, Gonal-f®, Luveris®, Ovidrel®/Ovitrelle®, Serostim®, Saizen®, Zorbtive™ and Raptiva®, Erbitux® |
| Revenue | USD ~5 billion (projected) |
| Website | http://www.merckserono.ch/ |
In September 2006, Merck KGaA announced its intent to purchase the majority of Serono shares from Ernesto Bertarelli and the Bertarelli family. The Merck-Serono merger was announced on September 21, 2006. Merck KGaA and Serono operated as distinct entities until at least January 2007. As of January 5th 2007, Merck held the majority shares of Serono. The new company is called Merck Serono.
It is expected that Merck Serono will have a research and development budget over € 1 billion. Currently, its sales forecasts may rank it seventh among pharma-biotechs, with sales rivaling such companies as Sanofi-Aventis.
Corporate information including webcasts and publications on the acquisition can be found at the Merck KGaA news page