Science

Translating scientific findings, novel medical devices, new diagnostics and therapies for infertility

Photo of hands holding a petri dish containing a pink fluid

Background

There is potential to shorten the time to healthy live birth, improve patient care and facilitate decision-making through the development of new technologies and services.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany recognizes infertility as a disease and our mission is to maximise the probability of healthy live birth in the shortest time possible.

We believe there are FOUR key elements that make up the innovation process:

  • Networking
  • Collaboration
  • Entrepreneurship
  • IP management

The questions that arise are: What areas of research will produce the most interesting projects and how can we enable technologies? Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has identified certain areas of interest that the MIP is trying to address.

Photo of a tray full of test tubes with pink fluid being piped into one

The Science

The MIP embraces relevant key enabling technologies, as listed below, to overcome clinical fertility restraint and make diagnostic and therapeutic procedures robust, rapid and precise.

The main objective is to translate scientific findings, novel medical devices, new diagnostics and therapies, with support from enabling technologies.

Key Areas of Interest 2020-2021

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has identified priority unmet medical needs in fertility treatment and innovation. These include:

  • Therapies to improve endometrial receptivity and implantation potential via intrauterine administration or other innovative methods
  • Technologies and treatments to improve oocyte quality and quantity for patients with diminished ovarian reserve
  • Approaches to diagnose, select, and enhance viability and motility of sperm for IVF/ICSI

Enablers

The MIP will be a Collaborative Network to support discussion and exchange of ideas on unmet medical needs.

This network will engage clinicians, researchers, embryologists and engineers in testing approaches to help develop research and technologies into practice. MIP's main TSP, the University of Naples Federico II, will support collaborations and drive forward fertility innovation, by offering access to the following services:

  • Biosensing
  • Bio-imaging
  • Implant- or tissue-on-chip
  • Nanoemulsion