By offering specialized therapies and user-friendly injection devices, the Merck Serono division aims to improve the lives of patients with endocrine and metabolic disorders. Sales by the Endocrinology therapeutic area increased by 14% over the previous year to € 262 million thanks to double-digit growth in all regions.
Our largest product is Saizen®, a recombinant human growth hormone. It is approved in 78 countries for indications including the treatment of pediatric and adult growth hormone deficiency, Turner Syndrome, growth failure associated with chronic renal failure, as well as to treat children born small for gestational age (SGA). According to estimates, growth hormone deficiency affects 100,000 children globally and 50,000 adults in Europe. Sales of Saizen® totaled € 191 million, an increase of 11%. Europe was our top-selling market for the growth hormone. Latin America showed the strongest growth with sales rising by 30%. As in the previous year, the continued success of Saizen® was favorably impacted by the high acceptance of our electronic injection device Easypod®, which has meanwhile been approved in 39 countries. As the first automatic delivery device for growth hormone, it makes once-daily administration easier for patients and medical professionals and its simple operation supports compliance. Easypod® was launched in the United States in early 2009. In September, we received marketing authorization in Japan and launched the product there as well.
Our drug Serostim® is used in the United States to treat patients suffering from HIV-associated wasting, which is estimated to affect up to 8% of HIV-infected individuals. Sales of Serostim® rose 17% to € 65 million.
Successful market launch of Kuvan® in Europe
With Kuvan® for the treatment of hyperphenylalaninemia, caused by either phenylketonuria (PKU), a congenital metabolic disorder, or a lack of the important co-enzyme tetrahydrobiopterin, we offer the first drug for this orphan disease in Europe. According to estimates, around 50,000 people are affected in Europe; 20% to 50% of PKU patients could benefit from treatment with Kuvan®. Subsequent to receiving marketing approval at the end of 2008, we began launching Kuvan® in April 2009. It is already available in ten EU countries and generated sales of € 5.6 million, exceeding our expectations.
In order to collect additional information on the benefits and safety of long-term therapy with Kuvan®, Merck Serono set up the KAMPER patient registry in December. This observational study aims to follow more than 600 patients in 11 European countries over a period of 15 years. To support PKU patients and their families, we collaborated with physicians and dieticians to develop a new website which offers detailed information on PKU and possibilities for treatment.
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