Merck Serono launches multiple sclerosis innovation contest

Merck Serono is launching a global competition designed to promote innovations that will help multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to cope with their condition.

The Real MS: Your Innovation design contest will solicit creative concepts for adaptive physical products or online applications that address the challenges posed by the disease.

A winner will be selected by an international judging panel and members of the MS community and will be unveiled later this year.

This represents the newest phase of the company's Real MS initiative, which launched in May 2010 and is intended to highlight the issues faced by MS sufferers, while providing new insights into future treatment options.

Dr Roberto Gradnik, executive vice-president for neurodegenerative diseases at Merck Serono, said: "The Your Innovation competition is the next step in this journey, through which we are celebrating the MS community's ability to adapt to the disease's unique challenges in a positive way."

Last month, the company published its financial data for 2010, noting a year-on-year sales growth driven by the performance of drugs such as Rebif and Erbitux.