We are a global leader with our portfolio of medicines to treat infertility. Merck is the only company that offers recombinant versions of the three main reproductive hormones. The Fertility business unit increased its sales in 2011 by 6.1% to € 697 million and expanded its market share. Europe accounted for nearly half our sales, which remained at the previous year’s level. We recorded double-digit growth rates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and Latin America, while sales declined in North America.
Gonal-f® (follitropin alfa for injection) is a recombinant form of natural follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). It is approved in more than 100 countries and is the world’s leading fertility drug. Sales of this product increased by 4.3% to € 526 million thanks to strong, mainly organic growth of 18% in Asia, Africa, Australasia. Sales in both China and Japan grew by around one-third. In Europe, which is our top-selling region for Gonal-f®, sales increased slightly. In North America, sales of Gonal-f® fell by 6.4%, mainly owing to a decrease in the generally declining U.S. market.
Cetrotide® is a medication used to prevent premature ovulation. The use of this class of drugs (gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists) is increasing and Cetrotide® benefited from this trend. Sales increased by 32% to € 50 million. Ovidrel®/Ovitrelle® is the only recombinant version of the natural hormone hCG. It is used to trigger follicle maturation and ovulation and generated a 10% increase in sales to € 50 million, mainly thanks to good growth outside of Europe. Our combination treatment Pergoveris™ is used to stimulate follicular development in infertile women with severe luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) deficiency. Worldwide sales, which were attributable almost exclusively to Europe, declined by 7.5% to € 29 million.
We expanded our range of user-friendly injection devices in 2011 to include three pre-filled pens for the self-administration of the liquid formulations of Gonal-f®, Luveris® (lutropin alfa; recombinant luteinizing hormone) and Ovidrel®. The new pens are approved in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and market launches are ongoing.