Merck Introduces Eshmuno® P Anti-A and Anti-B Chromatography Resins for Enhancement of Plasma-Derived Immunoglobulin

• Increased safety for patients undergoing immunoglobulin treatment
• Excellent stability for longer product lifetime
• Higher quality control with improved product release test

Darmstadt, Germany, September 20, 2017 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today launched Eshmuno® P anti-A and Eshmuno® P anti-B affinity chromatography resins specifically designed to remove anti-A and anti-B isoagglutinin antibodies during the manufacturing of plasma-derived immunoglobulin (Ig) therapies.

Trace amounts of anti-A and anti-B antibodies in plasma-derived Ig can lead to serious and sometimes fatal hemolytic events in patients undergoing plasma-based treatment. Introduction of chromatographic steps using Eshmuno® P resins to specifically deplete anti-A and anti-B antibodies is expected to reduce patient risk for adverse medical events associated with plasma-derived Ig therapies. This enhanced patient safety is achieved without negatively impacting process economics by reusing the resins for at least 200 cycles, with acid or alkaline cleaning, without loss of performance.

Eshmuno® P anti-A and Eshmuno® P anti-B resins are manufactured using a combination of Merck’s proprietary base matrix technology and a novel synthetic approach. The resins are released by an innovative test method to evaluate performance with significantly less variability compared with classical agglutination methods.

Merck has the right to grant non-exclusive sublicenses to certain patents and patent applications owned and controlled by LFB (Laboratoire français du Fractionnement et des Biotechnologies S.A.), strictly limited to the use of Eshmuno® P Anti-A and/or Eshmuno® P Anti-B resins for research, development and manufacture of plasma products (including toll and contract manufacturing for third parties). Customers who would like to purchase Eshmuno® P anti-A and/or Eshmuno® P anti-B resins from Merck will be provided further details regarding the availability of the foregoing sublicense.

Merck’s range of Eshmuno® and Fractogel® EMD chromatography resins are designed for efficient bioprocessing purification and are extensively used in commercial processes. These resins are well suited to support plasma purification processes, while minimizing operational costs and time to clinic.

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。