How We Innovate

Merck Serono, our parent company headquarted in Geneva, Switzerland, combines leading-edge expertise in two different areas of drug development and manufacturing: New Chemical Entities (NCEs) and New Biological Entities (NBEs). This enables us to broaden our research base and help bring innovative pharmaceuticals to patients as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Traditional pharmaceutical drugs are small molecules that treat the symptoms of a disease with one molecule directed at a single target. They are manufactured by chemical synthesis and typically come in tablet form. NCEs are compounds that emerge from the process of drug discovery.

Biopharmaceuticals are large molecules such as proteins that target the underlying mechanisms of a disease. They are capable of reaching targets not accessible with traditional medicines. Large molecules are created by living cells and are most often administered by injection.

An integral part of our R&D programs is the development of more patient-friendly drug delivery systems. Because most biopharmaceuticals must be injected under the skin, we believe that easier and less painful drug delivery systems will facilitate therapy for patients.

Simply put, it is technology based upon biology. Biotechnology can be broadly defined as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives to make or modify products for specific use. In the pharmaceutical sector, biotechnology is associated with landmark innovations in new medical therapies to treat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.