Merck receives global marketing and commercialization rights for Progyny’s Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva®) software

• Merck obtains global marketing and commercialization rights for the innovative Progyny Eeva® software offering, aiming to provide customers worldwide with innovative fertility technologies solutions
• This new agreement builds on the successful relationship between both leaders in fertility technologies, first established in 2010

Darmstadt, Germany, 12-May-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a new collaboration agreement with Progyny, Inc., extending the existing partnership between both companies to a global level. Under the new agreement, effective immediately, Merck receives global marketing and commercialization rights for Progyny’s Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva®) software offering, an important tool for clinicians and laboratories in assisted reproductive treatment (ART). The former agreement had granted Merck exclusive rights to commercialize the Eeva® Test in Europe and Canada, with the option to extend to selected countries. The renewed collaboration allows Merck non-exclusive, worldwide rights to the Eeva® Test which will further strengthen its leadership position in the global fertility technologies market and provide customers worldwide with innovative solutions, aiming to further improve outcomes for patients undergoing ART.

The advanced Eeva® software offering ensures high usability and flexibility for clinicians and laboratories. It provides reproductive endocrinologists and embryologists with detailed information and a better basis for decision-making. The software objectively identifies embryos that have a high potential to become blastocysts, ultimately helping to increase the chances for embryo implantation. At the same time, the software can be integrated into existing clinic routines and is flexible with use of new hardware.

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® System utilizes proprietary software that automatically analyzes embryo development against scientifically and clinically validated parameters. With Eeva®’s quantitative data on each embryo’s potential development, IVF clinicians can enhance the treatment path for their patients undergoing IVF procedures.

Progyny, Inc. formed March 2015 is the combined entity of Auxogyn, Inc. and FertilityAuthority, LLC. In March 2014, Auxogyn, Inc. granted Merck exclusive rights to commercialize Auxogyn’s proprietary Early Embryo Viability Assessment (Eeva®) Test in Europe and Canada, with the option to extend to selected countries. Progyny retains the commercial rights to the Eeva® Test in the United States. The agreement was the latest development in the ongoing collaboration between Merck and Progyny, which began in 2010 when Merck invested in Auxogyn through its corporate venture capital fund, MS Ventures.

Auxogyn received the CE mark for Eeva® in July 2012, and Merck has launched the test in 13 countries across Europe and Canada. In the United States, clearance for the Eeva® System was granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through its de novo classification process in June 2014.

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About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 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 2015, Merck generated sales of € 12.85 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, Darmstadt, Germany 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.

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