Merck launches two innovative technologies to support couples on their fertility treatment journey

Gavi is the world’s first automated vitrification instrument, developed with the aim to achieve a consistent and standardized vitrification process.

Gavi allows freezing of oocytes and embryos at key stages, whereas Geri medium supports undisturbed embryo growth.

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.

“Undergoing fertility treatment means looking at a lot of individual variables to ensure that everything is done for a successful outcome. During this process, couples want to be assured that their healthcare providers have the right tools at hand to assess those variables and help them make their dream of having a baby become a reality,” said Rehan Verjee, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Merck’s biopharma business. “With our two new products, we provide laboratories with important instruments that support fertility treatment tailored to the clinic and to the individual needs of patients.”

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.

Both products, developed and manufactured by Australian fertility technologies company, Genea Biomedx, will be available in Europe, with Gavi also launching in Canada and additional regions to follow soon. They are commercialized as part of the partnership between Merck and Genea Biomedx that started in 2015.