Sanofi opens its first digitally-enabled, continuous manufacturing facility; ushers in next generation of biotech manufacturing
Sanofi today celebrates the inauguration of its new digital manufacturing facility in Framingham, Massachusetts, marking one of the world's first digital facilities using intensified, continuous biologics production technology. The new facility features leading-edge technology that connects the production process with research and development, paving the way for improved commercialization of important new medicines for patients. 
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and Omada Health announced today they are partnering to integrate Abbott's revolutionary FreeStyle Libre system, a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, with Omada Health's pioneering digital care program, aiming to create a new paradigm for people with Type 2 diabetes. 
Bayer announced today that the company has signed collaboration agreements with eleven digital health startups. As part of the program, Bayer will support these startup companies aiming for longer-term collaborations to drive forward the development of specific digital solutions to improve patients' health in the fields of cardiovascular diseases, oncology, ophthalmology, pulmonology, radiology as well as digital therapeutics. 
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKCA), a majority-owned affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IONS) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), today announced that the companies have entered into a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement for AKCEA-ANGPTL3-LRx, an investigational antisense therapy being developed to treat patients with certain cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. 
Novartis announced an important step in reimagining medicine by founding the Novartis AI innovation lab and by selecting Microsoft as its strategic AI and data-science partner for this effort. The new lab aims to bolster Novartis AI capabilities from research through commercialization and help accelerate the discovery and development of transformative medicines for patients worldwide. 
AstraZeneca has agreed to sell the global commercial rights, excluding China, Japan, the US and Mexico, for Losec (omeprazole) and associated brands to Cheplapharm Arzneimittel GmbH (Cheplapharm). The divestment includes medicines containing omeprazole marketed by AstraZeneca or its collaborators under the Acimax, Antra, Mepral, Mopral, Omepral and Zoltum medicine names.