Merck Launches Industry’s First Off-the-Shelf Cell Culture Media for Perfusion Processes

• Increases manufacturing flexibility
• Exceptional performance and consistency required for high-density perfusion cell culture processes

Darmstadt, Germany, May 15, 2017 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today took a significant step toward increasing manufacturing flexibility and enabling higher productivity with the launch of the EX-CELL® Advanced™ HD Perfusion Medium. This first off-the-shelf, high-density cell culture media supports perfusion processes at low perfusion rates, increasing production yield and speed to clinic.

Biomanufacturers are moving toward perfusion processes, the next generation in manufacturing, as they seek to cut costs while increasing quality and efficiency. Perfusion processes, however, require a new type of medium. Merck’s EX-CELL® Advanced™ HD Perfusion Medium meets “next-gen” manufacturing requirements, allowing customers to achieve a more optimal output than they would using conventional batch or fed-batch processes.

“This launch is a major milestone on the road to truly enabling next generation processing,” said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. “The benefits of perfusion technology include increased cost efficiency, decreased risk and enhanced manufacturing flexibility—ultimately advancing our customers’ production capabilities and increasing access to therapies for people worldwide.”

A benefit of perfusion processing is higher protein yields, compared with fed-batch, which has been the primary mammalian cell cultivation mode for biopharma manufacturing over the past few decades. Perfusion technology is compatible with small portable plants and can be used with many drug types over a range of production scales.

Merck’s EX-CELL® Advanced™ HD Perfusion Medium is the most recent addition to the company’s EX-CELL® Advanced™ product line, which offers increased performance, streamlines regulatory compliance and provides the supply chain security needed in today’s evolving biopharmaceutical environment.

メルクについて
Merck（メルク）はヘルスケア、ライフサイエンス、パフォーマンスマテリアルズの分野における世界有数のサイエンスとテクノロジー企業です。がんや多発性硬化症のためのバイオ医薬品を用いた治療法から、科学研究と生産に関する最先端システム、スマートフォンや液晶テレビ向けの液晶材料にいたるまで、約53,000人の従業員が人々の暮らしをより良くする技術の一層の進歩を目指しています。2017年は66カ国で153億ユーロの売上高を計上しました。

メルクは1668年に創業された世界で最も歴史の長い医薬・化学品会社で、 創業家が今でも、上場企業が率いるメルクグループの株式の過半数を所有しています。メルクの名称およびブランドのグローバルな権利は、メルクが保有しています。唯一の例外は米国とカナダで、両国ではEMDセローノ、ミリポアシグマ、EMDパフォーマンスマテリアルズとして事業を行っています。