Merck KGaA announces launch of Gavi oocyte protocol and Geri medium. Both products to improve key steps of assisted reproductive treatment (ART).

Merck KGaA, a leading science and technology company, announced the launch of two innovative fertility technologies, Gavi oocyte protocol and Geri medium. Both products help to improve key steps of assisted reproductive treatment (ART) � an area where laboratory technologies play a vital role for treatment success.

The launches represent the seventh and eighth product launch in 18 months for the Fertility Technologies unit at Merck, demonstrating the company�s healthcare strategy to deliver innovation through best-in class assets. Gavi enables clinics to preserve human egg cells, also called oocytes, and embryos at the main stages of ART, while Geri medium supports undisturbed cultivation of embryos.

Both technologies have secured CE Marks.

Preserving oocytes or embryos for future in vitro fertilization and embryo transfers by cooling them to deep sub-zero degrees is a key step in the laboratory. Gavi is the world�s first automated instrument for this preservation technique, also called vitrification. With its latest product innovation, Gavi provides clinicians with added flexibility when taking important treatment decisions with and for their patients. Geri medium was developed to help improve another critical factor for successful treatment, embryo cultivation. After fertilization, the embryo needs to grow and develop before it is transferred into a woman�s womb. With the single-step culture medium, Merck now provides a way to support undisturbed incubation and optimal embryo development.