Merck Serono Corporate Headquarters Receives ISO 14001 Certification

Company Commits to Ongoing Improvements in Energy and Environmental Performance

GENEVA, Switzerland, April 22, 2010 - Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany, has announced
that its corporate headquarters in Geneva has obtained ISO 14001
certification. This certification by the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) recognizes the company's determination to manage the
ecological impact of its business through concrete measures and subject to
regular audits.

For Merck Serono in Switzerland, this will be its third ISO 14001
certification. Previously, in 2005 and 2009, the company obtained ISO 14001
certifications for its biotech production sites at Corsier-sur-Vevey and
Aubonne, located in the canton of Vaud.

"Since moving to the Sécheron site in Geneva, we have adopted measures to
improve the energy performance of our building and to reduce our
environmental impact, while at the same time putting in place programs for
raising environmental awareness among our employees", says Elmar Schnee,
President of Merck Serono. "We are proud to have received ISO 14001
certification, which rewards a collective effort by management and employees
to embrace a responsible and rational approach to managing our environment."

The certification was awarded following an in-depth assessment of the
company's current environmental management system. As part of the objectives
the company has voluntary set to be achieved by the year 2020, it will work
to steadily reduce its consumption of natural resources, energy and
associated greenhouse gas emissions, and to improve waste recycling.

In addition, since moving to the site in late 2006, Merck Serono
management has put in place an extensive awareness-raising program to
encourage employees to use public transport, non-motorized vehicles and car
pooling, and to cut down on business travel through tools such as video
conferencing. The company also has taken into account employee suggestions
when adopting a number of projects designed to promote rational use of
resources and waste recycling.

The 45,000 m2 building in the Sécheron district of Geneva has almost 1200
employees. Merck Serono's corporate headquarters was designed with the
environment in mind: 70% of the energy consumed by the site comes from
renewable resources, thanks to an innovative system of heating and cooling
that relies on pumping water from Lake Geneva, and by using electricity
generated by hydroelectric power.

About Merck Serono

Merck Serono is the division for innovative prescription
pharmaceuticals of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a global pharmaceutical
and chemical company. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Merck Serono
discovers, develops, manufactures and markets innovative small molecules and
biopharmaceuticals to help patients with unmet medical needs. In the United
States and Canada, EMD Serono operates through separately incorporated
affiliates.

Merck Serono has leading brands serving patients with cancer
(Erbitux(R), cetuximab), multiple sclerosis (Rebif(R), interferon beta-1a),
infertility (Gonal-f(R), follitropin alpha), endocrine and metabolic
disorders (Saizen(R) and Serostim(R), somatropin), (Kuvan(R), sapropterin
dihydrochloride) as well as cardiometabolic diseases (Glucophage(R),
metformin), (Concor(R), bisoprolol), (Euthyrox(R), levothyroxine). Not all
products are available in all markets.

With an annual R&D expenditure of more than EUR 1 billion,
Merck Serono is committed to growing its business in specialist-focused
therapeutic areas including neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, fertility
and endocrinology, as well as new areas potentially arising out of research
and development in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

About Merck

Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with
total revenues of EUR 7.7 billion in 2009, a history that began in 1668, and
a future shaped by approximately 33,000 employees in 61 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

www.merckserono.com

Merck Serono, 9 Chemin des Mines , 1202 Genève , Suisse. Relations Presse : Tél:+41-22-414-36-00.