Merck Serono announces treatment milestone for easypod

Merck Serono has announced that its growth hormone injection device easypod has been utilised by 30,000 patients to date.

The product, which is the first electronic injection device in this therapeutic area, has passed this milestone after more than four years on the market, having been introduced in January 2007.

Merck Serono's easypod is designed as a means of administering the recombinant growth hormone therapy Saizen and features preset dosing mechanisms for ease of use, as well as offering treatment adherence monitoring functions.

Observational studies conducted among paediatric patients have shown that children are keen to continue using the device after commencing.

Dr Bharat Tewarie, senior vice-president for global business unit fertility and endocrinology at Merck Serono, said: "Merck Serono is committed to helping patients in need of growth hormone to reach their full height potential by offering innovative injector devices."

Earlier this month, the company announced that it has agreed a deal to acquire the rights to PI-2301, a new multiple sclerosis therapy developed by Peptimmune.