In addition to strengthening our core therapeutic areas, Merck Serono’s strategy is to expand its product offerings into new specialist areas with significant unmet medical needs. Combining our own R&D pipeline compounds with key partnering opportunities is a key component of our approach.

As part of this strategy, Merck Serono entered into an agreement with Genentech to develop and commercialize the psoriasis drug Raptiva® in 2002. Under this agreement, Merck Serono has the exclusive license to market Raptiva worldwide, except in the U.S. and Japan.

Although psoriasis was initially considered to be caused by the defective growth of skin cells, it has become clear over the past two decades that the immune system, in particular T-cells (a subset of white blood cells) and their actions on cytokines, play a role in the development of this disease. This has led to a new generation of treatments that are specifically targeted against these defects in the immune system.

Merck Serono conducts research in the area of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (AIID) in order to offer new therapeutic options to patients with high unmet medical needs. We currently have several innovative projects in our R&D pipeline that may soon provide new therapies for diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

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