Merck Launches Viresolve® Pro Shield H for More Robust, Economical Parvovirus Removal

• Removes protein aggregates and other impurities in high pH and high conductivity mAb feed streams
• Significantly increases capacity of the Viresolve® Pro Device, reducing filter area and cost

Darmstadt, Germany, September 26, 2016 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, is launching the Viresolve® Pro Shield H for removal of parvoviruses from therapeutic protein feed streams. The new Viresolve® Pro Shield H is designed for use as a prefilter with Viresolve® Pro Devices for more robust, cost-economic viral clearance.

Viresolve® Pro Shield H removes protein aggregates and impurities that foul virus filters in high pH and high conductivity monoclonal antibody (mAb) feed streams. Combined with Viresolve® Pro Device parvovirus retentive filters, the Viresolve® Pro Shield H significantly increases processing capacity, while preserving high virus removal and high flux.

“As feed stream characteristics continue to change, filtration products must evolve in order to enable successful viral clearance to ensure drug safety,” said Andrew Bulpin, Head of Process Solutions Strategic Marketing & Innovation at the life science business of Merck. “Viresolve® Pro Shield H effectively improves aggregate removal and reduces the required virus filtration area needed to process feed streams, while delivering the same high level of virus clearance our customers rely on.”

Recombinant protein, mAb, fusion protein and antibody fragment feed streams can be challenging to process efficiently, both in terms of time and cost, because these proteins tend to aggregate during production. Aggregates can cause virus filters to foul more rapidly, reducing the amount of feed that can be processed and increasing the number of filters required to process the same volume.

Combining the Viresolve® Pro Shield H with the Viresolve® Pro Device provides biopharmaceutical manufacturers with the highest levels of retention assurance and productivity across a broad range of feed stream characteristics. The result is an optimized virus filtration process with lower filter costs, faster processing times and less sensitivity to feed stream variability. Flexible and highly effective, the Viresolve® Pro Shield H and Viresolve® Pro Device is a comprehensive solution to the challenges of diverse viral clearance needs.

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.