Merck Serono Announces Winner of the Real MS: Your Story Competition - Script to be Made into an International Short Film on Multiple Sclerosis Directed by Robin Sheppard

Merck Serono Announces Winner of the Real MS: Your Story Competition - Script to be Made into an International Short Film on Multiple Sclerosis Directed by Robin Sheppard

GENEVA, October 4, 2010/PRNewswire/ --

- Over 120 Entries to the Real MS: Your Story Competition Were
Registered and More Than 19,000 Persons Visited the Real MS Website

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany,
today, announced the winner of the Real MS: Your Story international script
concept competition to be Sarah Mead from the UK, as selected by a judging
panel. The winning script, titled 'It's a marathon, not a sprint...', will
now be brought to the screen in an international short film directed by
award-winning Director, Robin Sheppard, to show the world that life with MS
can be redefined in a positive and fulfilling way.

Real MS: Your Story is the first element of an international
campaign that aims to raise global awareness of MS and demonstrate how life
can and could be improved for people living with MS, and their families and
carers. Competition entrants from around the world were invited to submit
their ideas for the film plot in the form of a script concept, with the
winning script concept to be developed into a 3-5 minute film.

The judging panel included global film and MS experts who
selected Sarah's script concept from over 120 entries. Working with Robin
Sheppard, Sarah will now see her work brought to life as a short film which
will be screened in a major European city, December 2010.

Director, Robin Sheppard said: "The response to the Real MS
script concept competition has been fantastic. We have been overwhelmed to
see how many people from across the globe have wanted to get involved with
this important campaign. The entries received have revealed the diverse and
incredible achievements of people living with multiple sclerosis, and
reinforces the need for these stories to be told to a wider audience. We
believe that Sarah's winning script concept will convey a powerful, inspiring
vision of life with multiple sclerosis and would like to congratulate on her
well deserved success."

The Real MS campaign comprises a series of inspirational
educational competitions throughout 2010 and into 2011. Real MS hopes to give
a voice to those whose lives have been touched by MS.

MS affects two million people around the world. Common
symptoms of MS include unexplained constant fatigue, loss of sight, loss of
sensations, loss of balance, weakness and speech/swallowing problems.

The unpredictability of MS means that people have to reinvent
their lives every day to overcome the daily challenges and reminders of their
condition. There may not yet be a cure, but effective treatments are
available and other ones are coming which might change the lives of patients.
Ongoing research and development will hopefully empower people living with MS
to get on with the life they envision for themselves without having to think
about the daily reminders of their disease.

To find out more about the campaign and life with MS, visit
http://www.realmsvoices.com

About Real MS campaign

Real MS is an international campaign that aims to raise global
awareness of the disease and demonstrate how life with MS can and should be
better. Comprising inspirational educational competitions throughout 2010 and
into 2011, the first campaign competition (Real MS: Your Story) aims to use
the power of a short film to show the world that life with MS can be
redefined in a positive and fulfilling way. The Real MS: Your Story
competition is not open to US residents.

About multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory condition
of the central nervous system and is the most common, non-traumatic,
disabling neurological disease in young adults. It is estimated that
approximately two million people have MS worldwide. While symptoms can vary,
the most common symptoms of MS include blurred vision, numbness or tingling
in the limbs and problems with strength and coordination. The relapsing forms
of MS are the most common.

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 40,000 (including Merck Millipore) employees
in 64 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 http://www.merckserono.com
or http://www.merck.de

Source: Merck Serono S A

Merck Serono S.A. - Geneva, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Genève, Suisse, Media relations, Tel: +41-22-414-36-00

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