ROCKLAND, Mass., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- EMD Serono, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that Science magazine has named it one of the world’s leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical employers. EMD Serono’s ranking improved to No. 6 this year, up from No. 7 in 2008 and No. 17 in 2007.
“This is a great honor because the survey by Science sought opinions from people within the scientific community, people who actually know the biotech and pharmaceutical industries very well,” said Dr. Bernhard Kirschbaum, Executive Vice President, Research & Development, Merck Serono, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “This is a compliment to the dedication, skills and hard work of our employees. It’s also a statement to the rest of the scientific community that EMD Serono is an employer that offers a great working environment, the chance for professional development and an opportunity to help mankind.”
Science’s 2009 Top Employers Survey queried 2,334 people. Participants came from North America (73%), Europe (15%) and the Pacific Rim (8%). Respondents were asked to write in the names of companies they considered best, average and worst employers. They then rated these companies on 23 different attributes.
Attribute categories included Corporate Image, Financial Prowess, Leadership and Direction, Work Culture/Environment, Location, and Academic and Intellectual Challenge.
EMD Serono won special recognition for having loyal employees, being socially responsible and doing important, quality research.
EMD Serono appears on the list as Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, of which it is an affiliate.
Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) commissioned Cell Associated and The Brighton Consulting Group to conduct the survey to determine which employers in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries had the best reputations.
Email questionnaires were sent to AAAS members, Science Career registrants, Science website visitors registered with AAAS, and past survey takers, as well as human resources contacts from the Science Careers database.
About EMD Serono
EMD Serono, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leader in the US biopharmaceutical arena, integrating cutting-edge science with unparalleled patient support systems to improve people’s lives. The company has strong market positions in neurodegenerative diseases, with Rebif(R) (interferon beta-1a), as well as in endocrinology, with Saizen(R) (somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection) and Serostim(R) (somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection). EMD Serono is a leader in reproductive health, with Gonal-f(R) (follitropin alfa for injection), Luveris(R) (lutropin alfa for injection) and Ovidrel(R) Prefilled Syringe (choriogonadotropin alfa injection). With a clear focus on the patient and a leadership presence in the biopharmaceutical industry, EMD Serono’s US footprint continues to grow, with more than 1000 employees around the country and fully integrated commercial, clinical and research operations in the company’s home state of Massachusetts.
For more information, please visit www.emdserono.com
About Merck KGaA
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of EUR 7.6 billion in 2008, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by 32,700 employees in 60 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck’s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.
For more information, please visit www.merckserono.com or www.merck.de
SOURCE EMD Serono, Inc.
CONTACT: Heather Hatfield, +1-781-681-2124
Web site: http://www.emdserono.com/
