Merck Serono sees year-on-year growth in 2010

Merck Serono has seen a year-on-year improvement in its financial performance during 2010.

Figures from parent company Merck KGaA's annual fiscal report show that the pharmaceutical organisation's revenue for the year came to 5.75 billion euros (4.83 billion pounds), up by 7.6 percent compared to 2009.

This growth was credited to the strong demand for its biopharmaceutical products, with 61 percent of its sales total generated by its five leading offerings, Rebif, Erbitux, Saizen, Gonal-f and Serostim.

Merck Serono's performance helped the group as a whole to achieve a record revenue total during the year.

Dr Karl-Ludwig Kley, chairman of the executive board of Merck KGaA, said 2010 was a "transformative year" for the company, adding: "Financially, 2010 exceeded expectations and raised our revenue and profitability profiles."

Earlier this month, Merck Serono announced that it will be providing a number of international students with an opportunity to attend a one-week training course at its base in Frankfurt.