Merck Millipore Extends its Innovative NovaSeptum® Sterile Sampling Offerings

• Sterile system offers contamination-free sampling for biopharmaceutical manufacturers
• Novel cap with O-ring component reduces loss of product by maintaining a completely closed system
• Single-use product line offers improved efficiency over traditional sampling methods

August 8, 2012, Darmstadt, Germany — Merck Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck, today announced the launch of the NovaSeptum^® 125, 250 and 500 mL bottles, ideal for sterile sampling from biomanufacturing processes. The new bottles extend the existing NovaSeptum^® franchise, which also includes a 60 mL bottle, 50–1000 mL flat bags and 5–20 mL syringes.

Through a specially designed single-piece cap with a special O-ring component, NovaSeptum^®bottles provide unmatched container closure. This novel design protects product integrity and prevents product loss during sample collection, transport and especially during long term storage where stress release can induce leakage. In addition, samples can be frozen directly in the bottle, eliminating the need for transfer.

“The patented NovaSeptum^® family of sampling systems is ideal for general fluid and cell culture sampling from aseptic and sterile processes,” said Mani Krishnan, Director, Single-use Processing Systems. “NovaSeptum^® products, including these new sample collection options, are designed and qualified to meet the stringent processing needs of our biopharmaceutical customers. The closed design ensures the product sample will be isolated from point of collection to analysis, helping to protect product while maintaining the integrity of the sample that is taken.”

The new bottles are simple to use, store and freeze, and their graduated lines allow for easier and more accurate volume sampling. In addition, as with the entire NovaSeptum^®line, the new bottles are disposable, offering multiple improvements over traditional stainless steel and glass systems. Single-use sterile sampling systems provide for a contamination-free and consistent performance, as well as faster setup times and improved operational efficiencies.

For more information on the NovaSeptum^® sterile sampling system, please visit www.merckmillipore.com/novaseptum.

About Merck Millipore
Merck Millipore is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany and offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration on new scientific and engineering insights, and as one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science Tools industry, Merck Millipore serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of life science.

Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 67 countries and 2011 revenues of EUR 2.4 billion. Merck Millipore operates as EMD Millipore in the U.S. and Canada.

Note: Merck KGaA or Merck shall mean Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany