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| |  Fertinex Improves Quality of Patient Care By Reducing Stress NORWELL, Mass., Nov. 4, 1996 -- Fertinex(TM) (urofollitropin for injection, purified), the latest development in infertility therapy, is the first highly purified follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) that can be administered via subcutaneous injection (just under the skin). This represents a major advance in patient comfort and, importantly, the ability for patients to self-administer their therapy, allowing for greater independence and convenience. Because of its high purity (containing equal to or greater than 95% FSH), Fertinex can be administered via subcutaneous injection. Conventional hormone preparations used in the treatment of infertility must be administered deep into muscle tissue, requiring a needle that can be up to five times larger than a subcutaneous needle. In addition, intramuscular injection usually is given with the aid of the patient's partner or healthcare provider. Subcutaneous injection uses a very small needle and can be easily self-administered with little discomfort. Easy self-administration can help to reduce patient stress by providing greater independence and convenience. "Fertinex offers patients and reproductive specialists unmatched advantages in ease and comfort of administration. I am pleased to announce that Fertinex will be available on November 15," said Robert G. Lederer, executive vice president, Serono Laboratories, Inc., the U.S. member of The Ares-Serono Group. "In response to patient needs and concerns, we are also proud to be able to offer Fertinex at the identical suggested retail price of the company's old FSH preparation, Metrodin(R), which must be administered via intramuscular injection. In fact, Fertinex is actually priced lower than our very first product, Pergonal(R). This is important because, so often, cost determines reimbursement. We worked hard -- in development, production and distribution -- to establish this pricing structure, to ensure that the cost of Fertinex would not be a reimbursement issue." Fear of Intramuscular Injection In a recent, national survey conducted by the independent polling firm of Louis Harris and Associates, 79% of patients and partners found intramuscular injection stressful and 68% found it difficult to administer. In addition, even though 70% of patients reported they are more fearful of self- administering an intramuscular injection than being injected by their partner, 57% of patients said their partners were not always available to administer all the necessary injections, causing 43% of patients to self-administer their injections. More than half (54%) of the partners polled were concerned about performing the intramuscular injections incorrectly, thereby hurting their chances of success. In fact, nearly one-third (31%) of the 165 infertility patients (98 women and 67 men) interviewed believe they did not correctly follow the intramuscular injection protocol and 13% of those patients did not report this to their healthcare provider. Ninety-one percent of the 279 reproductive professionals (100 doctors, 103 nurses and 76 pharmacists) surveyed expressed concern about the ability of patients to follow their prescribed protocol with intramuscular injection. Convenience of Self-Administration The clear majority of survey respondents, 97% of medical professionals and 75% of patients and their partners, believe that subcutaneous injections would be beneficial to patients undergoing infertility therapy. Self-administered, subcutaneous injection offered by Fertinex will reduce the level of stress and inconvenience previously experienced with intramuscular preparations. In fact, 64% of patients and their partners reported that subcutaneous delivery would have reduced the stress they experienced while undergoing infertility therapy. Fertinex may also provide patients with a new sense of independence and control over their therapy. Serono Laboratories, Inc., is the United States member of The Ares-Serono Group of companies. The Ares-Serono Group is a leading Swiss developer and marketer of pharmaceutical products with executive headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Ares-Serono operates subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities in more than 25 countries. World leader in the treatment of infertility, Ares-Serono is also active in the fields of growth, metabolism and immunology/oncology. With seven recombinant products under development, Ares-Serono is one of today's biotechnology leaders. Three of these products are already marketed for various indications. Products of The Ares-Serono Group are sold under the trademark Serono in over 90 countries. Shares of Ares-Serono S.A., the parent company of Ares-Serono, are traded on the Swiss stock exchanges.
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