Europe OKs Merck Serono's prefilled IVF pen injector

By many accounts, the future of drug delivery belongs to the prefilled syringe. They're secure, easy to use and minimize the chance for dosage error. But it's compliance that Merck Serono has in mind for its prefilled pen injectors meant for fertility-treatment drugs. The company has received approval from the European Commission for three prefilled, ready-to-use pen injectors.

Receiving the European OK are Gonal-F (follitropin alfa), Luveris (lutropin alfa) and Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa). All three products are recombinant gonadotropins used in fertility treatments, reports in-PharmaTechnologist.com.

"Fertility treatment specialists were involved from the beginning in the development of the new devices for the Merck Serono gonadotropins portfolio for fertility treatment," Merck Serono's Bharat Tewarie said in a statement. "We are pleased to introduce today the specially designed injection devices that combine key features recommended by them."

The pens tell the users whether a complete dose was injected or indicate how much is missing if the dose was incomplete, the company said. Its prefilled pens have also already been approved in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland.

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