Merck Serono SpA

Merck’s Biopharmaceutical Business in Italy is represented by Merck Serono S.p.A., the Italian affiliate of the Merck Group. The company operates with around 900 employees across its headquarters in Via Flaminia (Rome), the research center in Guidonia Montecelio, and the production site in Bari.

Merck Serono S.p.A. also fully owns the Istituto di Ricerche Biomediche “Antoine Marxer” RBM S.p.A., located in Colleretto Giacosa—a key R&D site with 164 employees.

Founded in 1969 by Dr. Silvia Olivetti Marxer in memory of her husband Prof. Antoine Marxer, the RBM Institute has a long-standing tradition in preclinical development, with a strong focus on regulatory activities, operating under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

The Serono Group acquired a majority stake in the Institute in 1982, and since 2007, Merck Serono S.p.A. has owned 100% of RBM. Today, with 15,000 square meters of laboratory space, RBM is one of the Group’s most important Research & Development sites, dedicated to preclinical research and clinical development support.

At the Colleretto Giacosa site, the most promising drug candidates are identified based on safety profiles, and clinical indications are supported by the high-quality documentation required for regulatory approval.